


Sword Art Online: The Dark Swordsman 2

by DarknessStorm



Series: The Dark Swordsman Series [2]
Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 135,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27341476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarknessStorm/pseuds/DarknessStorm
Summary: Over a year has passed since the SAO Incident. Frank and Kazuto have finally adjusted back to living in the real world again. But when Seijirou Kikuoka, a member of the government, tells them about players who died in real life while inside another VRMMO, they must dive into the game and find out how the deaths happened and stop more from happening.
Relationships: Kirigaya Kazuto | Kirito/Yuuki Asuna | Asuna, Konno Yuuki | Yuuki/Original Male Character(s)
Series: The Dark Swordsman Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996525
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1: A New Threat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This was one of the first stories I have ever written and I don't think the quality is very good. The only reason I'm posting this is due to it being part of the Dark Swordsman series.

**Over a year has passed since the SAO Incident. Frank, Kazuto and all their friends have finally adjusted back to living in the real world again. But when Seijirou Kikuoka, a member of the government, tells the duo of players who died in real life from inside another VRMMO, they must dive into the game and find out how the deaths happened and stop more from happening. Marth and Kirito will fight old enemies, make new friends, and confront the demons of their past from Sword Art Online. It's time for battle.**

" _Italics"_ \- **Thoughts**

**(In Dark Swordsman 1, there was a writing error where Marth had the Imp's wings instead of the Spriggan's. This was because Marth was intended to pick the Imp race before I changed it to him choosing the Spriggan race. The error has since been fixed and I'm sorry for any confusion it might have caused.)**

* * *

**Chapter 1- A New Threat**

**November 9** **th** **, 2025- Gun Gale Online**

There was a large group of players hanging in a bar watching the live stream of "This Week's Winners", which was featuring XeXeeD, the latest winner of the Bullet of Bullets tournament, and Yamikaze, the runner up.

"Oh please," XeXeeD bragged. "The notion that AGI builds are all-mighty is just an illusion. Sure, AGI is important for «Rapid-firing» and «Avoidance Rate», and if you master them, you'll make your way to the top ranks, until now, that is. To anyone who that was dumb enough to spend the last eight months using their points to increase their AGI, it sucks to be you right now!"

Most of the players booed in annoyance at the BoB winner. There was also a mysterious player wrapped in a cloak sitting at the edge of the room.

"That's just what you'd expect from the top player of Gun Gale Online, one of the most challenging VRMMOs out there," the reporter in the live stream said. "Talk about controversial."

XeXeeD scoffed and folded his arms. "Well, who knows if I'll ever be on M-ST again, so might as well make an impact when I can," he replied.

"Oh please," the reporter said. "So, do you think you've got a shot in the next Bullet of Bullets?"

"Damn right I do," XeXeeD said confidently. "I wouldn't be in it if I didn't think I couldn't win."

Most of the players booed again.

"It won't be _that_ easy, XeXeeD," Yamikaze spoke up. "BoB is a solo tournament, so whatever worked for you before doesn't mean it'll work again. If I were you, I wouldn't imply that I won due to my stat type."

XeXeeD simply smirked. "Please, this is all because of the overall trend of GGO," he explained. "You're an AGI (agility) player, so of course you're in denial…" Yamikaze grunted in frustration while XeXeeD stood up from his seat, "Wake up, people! Until now, boosting your AGI and firing powerful guns at rapid rates was the best style! But MMOs are always changing their balance mechanics, especially in level-oriented games like GGO, where we can't switch out our stats! You have to think ahead and be smart when using your points. It's not a given that the best style in one level zone won't be the same for the next. Besides, the firearms coming in the next update will have higher STR (strength) requirements and Accuracy bonuses."

One player scoffed. "I remember when XeXeeD boasted that AGI builds were the best," he said bitterly. "That bastard totally scammed us."

Suddenly the cloaked player stood up and approached the monitor. He then pulled out a pistol and aimed it at one of the screens showing the live stream with his right hand.

"You're nothing but a fake, XeXeeD," the cloaked player monologed. "And now, you'll face judgement from someone with _real_ power!"

Everyone looked at the cloaked player in confusion before they all burst out laughing. The cloaked player then did the sign of the cross with his left hand before firing at the screen. The bullet easily went through XeXeeD's head on the monitor, and for a moment, nothing happened.

Suddenly XeXeeD began groaning with pain as he clutched his chest, catching the other players off-guard. XeXeeD then disappeared due to a disconnection error.

"Huh?" the reporter said in confusion. "We seem to be having a bad connection. Don't worry folks. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

But XeXeeD never reappeared. Everyone then stared at the cloaked player with terror as he aimed his gun at them. A metal skull-shaped mask with red eyes was revealed under the player's hood.

"This is _real_ power!" the player boasted. "Real strength!" He aimed his gun at the ceiling. "Let your fear carve one name into your brains! The name I share with this gun. Death Gun!" His eyes briefly lit up as steam shot out the sides of his mask.

**December 7** **th** **, 2025**

Asuna and Yuuki were waiting by the East Garden of the Imperial Palace for their boyfriends to arrive. Asuna was wearing a white jacket, a pink undershirt, a necklace with a silver cross, a red skirt, white leggings, and white boots. Yuuki was wearing a red headband, a purple jacket, with a black shirt underneath, a purple skirt with red trimming, and black boots. They were both eighteen and seventeen respectfully.

"I can't believe that its been a year since SAO ended," Asuna said.

Yuuki nodded in agreement. "I know. Sometimes, it feels like it was just a bad dream, only it wasn't." She looked up at the clear winter sky. "I wonder what the difference between the real world and the virtual world is."

"The amount of data," a new voice answered, startling the girls. They turned around and saw none other than Frank and Kazuto behind them. They were both wearing a jacket, t-shirt, pants, and boots that were all black. They were now seventeen years old.

"You scared us!" Asuna chided, causing the Darkness Duo to laugh.

"Sorry," Kazuto replied. "But we're on time, aren't we?"

"It's alright," Asuna said. "Guess I was on autopilot. Anyway, hello Kirito. Hi Marth."

"Sup Marth," Yuuki greeted. "Hey Kirito."

Both boys groaned. They had long since given up on correcting the girls with their names, but it was still a little annoying.

"Some things will never change," Frank said. He then looked the girls over. "I see you two are in your old colors."

It took them a second to realize that he was referring to SAO. "Yeah," Yuuki agreed before reaching towards her waist as if trying to grab something. "But minus the swords." She then giggled. "The same can be said for you and Kirito! Do you guys try to match, or does it just happen?"

Both boys simply scratched their heads. "This is only because we had to wash the rest of our clothes and these were the only ones left," Kazuto replied.

"Then you shouldn't put your laundry off!" Asuna scolded before taking her boyfriend's arm. "It's great that we're all wearing our old colors. What are the odds?"

"Well, if we see each other enough its bound to…" Kazuto started.

"That was a rhetorical question," Asuna interrupted.

"C'mon!" Yuuki said impatiently. "Let's go!" She grabbed boyfriend by the arm and started leading him into the garden, with Kazuto and Asuna right behind.

"I don't know about you all," Frank said. "But I find the imperial palace pretty interesting."

"What do you mean?" Yuuki questioned.

"Its two kilometers from north to south," Frank explained. "1.5 kilometers from east to west, and it takes up a whole 20 percent of the Chiyoda Ward. There aren't any subways or tunnels underneath it, and it's a no-fly zone. It's kinda cool that there's a restricted area right in the heart of Tokyo."

Kazuto nodded in agreement. "Not only is it isolated on the outside, but information wise too," he said before pointing at a pole with a strange sphere on top. "That's a surveillance camera. This place has its own closed-network set up here, and you can't access it from the outside."

"Wow," Asuna said, sounding impressed. "That's one weird camera."

"Yeah. Not only is this place the heart of Tokyo, it's also its own isolated world," Kazuto continued. "Actually, I'm probably exaggerating that, but it's still pretty cool."

Asuna simply giggled. "You think."

The boys then led the girls to the park, who were in awe of its beauty.

"This used to be the inner citadel of the Edo Castle," Frank started.

"C'mon, let's go!" Yuuki said eagerly before dragging her boyfriend to the park, with Asuna doing the same with Kazuto.

The quartet simply wandered around the park, enjoying their surroundings. They even managed to have a stranger take their picture, so they could remember their time. Once the sun started setting, the group decided to sit on a park bench to rest.

"Hey, you know that questionnaire they gave us at school?" Asuna questioned. "The one asking about our future plans."

Yuuki nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah. I had a hard time with it because I don't know what I want to do after I graduate." She eyed her boyfriend. "What about you, Frank?"

"Well, Kazuto and I have been thinking of instead of playing games, we become the creators," the Dark Swordsman voiced.

"Do you mean for games?" Asuna asked.

Kazuto shook his head. "No, not games," the Black Swordsman replied. "We're thinking of creating a man-machine interface to replace the full-dive technology we have now. Frank and I have been going to all these tech forums to learn more, but there's a lot of info to absorb."

Asuna smiled in content. "All I want is to stay with you, Kirito," she whispered.

"What was that?" Kazuto asked, startling the Lightning Flash.

"I mean, I wish that someday we could be with Yui in this world, too," Asuna said hastily.

"We'll be able to live with her in this world," Kazuto replied. "Once we manage to access augmented reality at will. The only thing holding it back is the amount of data."

"Didn't you guys mention that earlier?" Yuuki asked. "What did you mean by that?"

Frank paused to think. "Let's see… If we were holding hands in ALO, it wouldn't be the same as doing it in real life, would it?"

Yuuki took Frank's hand into her own and said, "Yeah. You can sense a lot more from a real hand. Is that what you meant by the difference of data?"

Frank nodded. "Yup. Imagine if you could reproduce the feeling of skin or pulse. There's no way you could tell a difference if the hand was real or virtual."

"I could if it was Kirito's hand," Asuna voiced. "But it's not just touch. There's still more data in sound and taste in the real world, right? Even if our Amusphere rigs could access augmented reality, we'd still know the difference."

"Yeah," Kazuto agreed. "You'd know if something was real or not as soon as you come into contact with it. Hopefully someone will come along with a technological breakthrough that lets us receive tons of sensory data at all times…"

"Then we could bring the real and virtual worlds together and be with Yui forever," Asuna finished. "Do you think it will ever come?"

Kazuto shrugged. "Yeah, especially if Frank and I are behind it."

"Then you two better get to work," Yuuki said cheerfully.

Frank and Kazuto then thought about what happened earlier that day, before they met up with Yuuki and Asuna.

**Flashback- 4 hours earlier**

Frank and Kazuto had gone to a café to meet up with Seijirou Kikuoka, the man who questioned him and Kazuto when they were still in the hospital. Once they approached the dining room, they were greeted by, "Kirito. Marth. Over here!"

The duo saw a man in a business suit with brown hair and glasses, who was sitting at an empty table, waving at them. They both let out a groan as people were staring at them before walking over to the man and taking a seat.

"Did you seriously just call us by our avatar names?!" Kazuto said in a hushed, irritated tone.

Kikuoka waved his hand dismissively. "Sorry, but if you're worried about getting any unwanted attention from people, it's already too late," he replied. "Everyone knows that you two were the ones who stopped both the SAO and Alfheim Incidents. And Frank, where the heck did you get the idea to name your character 'Marth' anyway?" He had been playing Alfheim Online as an Undine mage named Chrysheight for a classified government research project in the Virtual Division.

Frank folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "I got it from an old video game series I used to play," he answered. "I thought it was a good idea to use that name for my avatar handle in both the beta and the full version of Sword Art Online. So why'd you call us here in the first place? We already told you everything we knew about both those incidents."

Kikuoka shook his head. "That's not why I called you two," he said as he opened up his menu and a waiter approached the table. "But before we get into that, pick something to order. Don't worry about the cost, it's my treat."

"Thank you, sir," Kazuto said formally. "I think we'll take you up on it."

Kikuoka simply chuckled. "You don't need to be so formal with me. Just talk to me like you would in ALO."

"If you say so."

Frank and Kazuto opened their menus and nearly fell out of their seats. Everything on the menu was crazy expensive. They both ended up ordering light snacks and drinks.

"I'm sorry to make you two come all the way here," the Undine player said.

"Then why'd you bother asking us to come to Ginza?" Frank questioned. "What's this about, anyway?"

"You're as cold as ever, Frank," Kikuoka said. He handed the duo a tablet revealing a picture of a man.

"Who's he?" Kazuto asked.

"This won't be pleasant, but on November 14th, the landlord of an apartment complex in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, was cleaning the place when he noticed an unpleasant smell," Kikuoka explained. "He followed the trail to one of the apartments and discovered this man named Tamotsu Shigemura, age 26, dead. He'd been dead for five days. The landlord found him in bed and there were no signs of a break-in, and the victim was wearing an Amusphere."

"What?!" the SAO Survivors exclaimed in shock.

"It was ruled as an unnatural death, so there was an autopsy," Kikuoka explained. "The cause of death was deemed acute heart failure."

"Heart failure?" Frank said curiously. "Why would a twenty-six-year-old have heart failure?"

That was when their food arrived.

"Your guess is as good as mine," the government agent replied as he took the tablet back. "Unfortunately, since so much time had passed and there was no evidence of foul play, the autopsy wasn't very thorough. We do know that he hadn't eaten for two days since he was logged in for that long."

"But that's not unusual," Kazuto voiced. "Gamers do it all the time. But why are you telling us this?"

"He had a game called Gun Gale Online installed in his Amusphere. Have either of you heard of it before?"

Frank nodded. "Of course, we have. It's the only MMO in Japan with professional players."

"Last October, this man had won a tournament called Bullet of Bullets to be ranked as the most powerful player in GGO," Kikuoka explained. "His avatar's name was XeXeeD."

"Was he playing GGO when he died?" Kazuto asked as they ate.

"No, apparently, he was appearing as XeXeeD's avatar on a program called MMO Stream," the Undine player answered. "We know what time from the logs. That's when things have yet to be confirmed. According to another player's blog, at the precise moment Tamotsu suffered from a heart attack, something odd happened in GGO. It seems that at that moment, in a certain bar, there was a player who started acting strangely. The blog states that he shouted at XeXeeD's image about judgement and power before shooting the image with his gun. There was a player there who happened to be recording the audio and uploaded it to a video site. Since the file had a Japan Standard Time counter, we know that the shot fired, and Tamotsu's death happened at the same time."

"It's probably just a coincidence," Frank passed off.

Kikuoka simply smirked. "You'd think that, but there was another death," he said, shocking the Spriggan players.

"What?" Kazuto said in disbelief.

"This one happened on November 28th," Kikuoka stated. "Somewhere in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. Same set-up as before. A body found in a two-story apartment. A newspaper salesman happened to look inside and saw the victim in bed while wearing his Amusphere. You don't want to know the details on the corpse's condition, trust me. Anyway, heart failure was the cause of death for this one too. The victim was another top ranking GGO player and named…" He struggled on trying to pronounce the name, "Usushio Tarako? This one, however, took place in-game.

"He was in the Central Plaza in Glocken, in a meeting with his squad, which I'm guessing is the equivalent of a guild. A strange player came up to him and shot him point blank."

Frank took a sip from his drink and said, "Do you know if it was the same person who shot XeXeeD?"

"Most likely," Kikuoka confirmed. "He said stuff about judgement and power and identified himself by the same character name."

"What name?"

"Death Gun," Kikuoka said firmly.

"Death… Gun…" Kazuto said slowly. Suddenly, both Spriggan players came to a realization. "Are you positive that they both died of heart failure?"

"What do you mean?" Kikuoka asked in confusion.

"Was there any damage to their brains?" Frank questioned.

Kikuoka smirked. "I was wondering that myself, so I asked the coroner to check, but he said there wasn't any damage to either of their brains," he explained. "Besides, while the NerveGear used high-output microwaves to fry the signal elements and destroy the brain, the Amusphere was designed so it _couldn't_ emit such powerful electromagnetic waves. Or so the developers claim."

"You sure did your homework," Kazuto said. "But for this story is built around coincidences and rumors."

"True, it could be a coincidence or even a hoax. I'm just talking hypothetically here. Kirito, Marth, do either of you think to stop a player's heart with in-game gunfire?"

Both teens pictured Death Gun firing a bullet from the virtual world and killing Tamotsu with it, which made them nervous.

"No," Kazuto said firmly. "It can't be done. But… hypothetically, let's say that this Death Gun character sent some sort of killer signal to XeXeeD and Usushio Tarako's Amuspheres, but what it be?"

"I doubt it could be the sensation of a touch or sound," Frank voiced. "The Amusphere doesn't have the capability of producing something that powerful. Not to mention that the Amusphere doesn't even connect to the heart." He then glared at Kikuoka. "But I bet that you already thought of this, haven't you? You guys couldn't figure it out, so you called us in to pick our brains on it!"

Kikuoka raised his hands in defense. "No, no, no," he said hastily. "I would never do such a thing to you two. After all, I enjoy talking with you and I wanted your opinion."

The Darkness Duo didn't look convinced by his statement and stood up. "We're done here," Kazuto said. "You want our opinion, so here it is. Its impossible to stop a person's heart from actions in-game. The shots fired, and the two heart attacks are coincidences."

"Yeah," Frank added.

The teens turned to leave but were stopped when Kikuoka said, "Wait! You guys can order more cake, just stay with me a little longer. Seriously, I'm relieved that you both came to that conclusion. Fact is, my opinion is the same as yours. I don't believe these deaths were caused by in-game gunshots. I've come here to ask you and Kirito if you would log into Gun Gale Online, and make contact with this 'Death Gun' character?"

"And once we do find him, then what?" Frank questioned fiercely. "You want to let him shoot us? No thanks! I don't want to get killed!"

"Neither do I!" Kazuto added.

"Wait! Let me finish!" Kikuoka begged. "We just agreed that wasn't possible! Besides, this Death Gun guy seems to have a very strict criteria for his targets."

"Huh?" the duo said in confusion. They then eyed each other and nodded before sitting back at the table.

"Here's the deal," Kikuoka explained. "Both XeXeeD and Tarako were renowned top players. That means he's probably not interested in shooting newbies. And since you guys beat Brandon and Kayaba…"

"But that's different!" Kazuto proclaimed. "GGO's no joke! It's full of professional players!"

"Hold the phone," Kikuoka said as he pointed a finger at the duo. "What do you mean by 'professional players'?"

"Easy," Kazuto said. "Gun Gale Online is the only VRMMO with a game coin-to-real life currency conversion system. That means you turn whatever money you earn in the game into real currency. Pro gamers are the ones who earn a constant stream of income every month from GGO. I heard that the top players can make two to three hundred thousand yen every month."

"That's why so many hardcore gamers play GGO," Frank explained. "They pour so much more time and passion into the game than any other MMO players. Even if Kazuto and I were to log in, no one would give us a second glance. You should find someone else."

"Hold up, hold up," Kikuoka said. "You guys are the only ones I can ask to do this! I need both of your help with this investigation. I'll even pay you for your trouble!"

That got the SAO Survivors' attention. "I don't get why you're so hung up over this," Kazuto passed off. "You hear horror stories on the Internet all the time."

Kikuoka nodded in agreement. "I know," he said. "But my superiors are worried about this. The effects of full-dive technology on the real world is the hottest topic in all fields today. Literally everyone is researching it. People are going to use these deaths to regulate the technology to their advantage, so we need to get the facts straight before that happens. How's that?"

"Why not ask the admins about it?" Frank asked. "Wouldn't they be the best people to question?"

"Unfortunately, Zaskar, the company who developed GGO, is in the U.S.," the Undine player replied grimly. "They haven't made their phone number or email address public, so it'll be difficult to contact them. Ever since the World Seed was released, shady-looking VR worlds have been popping up everywhere."

"Oh," Frank said. "Sorry about that."

Kikuoka waved his hand in dismissal. "Relax, I'm not accusing you and Kirito. I know you both had good intentions when you two released the World Seed to the public. Whether Zaskar is legit or not doesn't matter. If we want to discover the truth, we have to contact Death Gun in the game. I'm not asking for you two to get shot. We'll take every precaution necessary. Just evaluate the situation and report back. So, Kirito, Marth, will you help us?"

Both SAO Survivors lowered their heads as they thought about their time in the death game. _"Four thousand people died in Aincrad,"_ Frank said to himself. _"Those memories are just now starting to fade away. But now, in some other virtual world, someone is committing murders in the virtual world, and I'm getting pulled back in. It's like someone's trying to stop me from forgetting."_

Kazuto then nudged his best friend. "So what do you think, partner?" Kazuto asked.

Frank looked the black-haired teen in the eye. "I'm game if you are," he said.

Kazuto nodded before they faced the government agent. "Okay, we'll help you," Kazuto said.

Kikuoka smiled in content. "Thank you both. And I swear that I won't let anything happen to you both while you investigate this 'Death Gun Incident'."

**Present Day**

"Hey," Asuna said suddenly, snapping the boys from their thoughts. "I know why you brought us here."

"What do you mean?" Kazuto asked.

"If our world is made from an axis called 'Time', and a plane called 'Space', then the center of our reality is this place," Asuna explained. "And the axis of the virtual world that is constantly expanding thanks to the World Seed, is old Aincrad. That's why this sunset feels so familiar to me."

Yuuki nodded in agreement. "Now that you mention it, this does remind me of our last moments in SAO," she said.

"Yeah," Frank added. "You could even take it a step further and connect it to Aincrad's shape. Maybe its shape was meant to represent the Time Axis and the Space Plane."

"I can see where you're coming from," Asuna said. "Then that means the world Heathcliff and Zelgius were trying to create was to be tapered off and eventually converge, and finally vanish. Unfortunately, we'll never know because two certain people cleared it three-fourths of the way up."

The Darkness Duo cringed in fear. "Sorry, our bad," Kazuto said quickly.

The quartet then shared a laugh. Both boys wanted to tell their girlfriends about what Seijirou asked them to do but chose not to.

"It's getting cold," Frank said as they felt the evening chill start to emerge. "I think we should start heading back."

"Okay," Yuuki agreed. "But next time let's bring Thorrnn and Leafa and the others! We could have a picnic here!"

"Sounds like a plan," Asuna said.

"Definitely," Kazuto added. "But in the spring."

**GGO**

Meanwhile, a young woman with short blue hair was on the roof of a destroyed building, aiming her sniper rifle, a PGM Ultima Ratio Hecate II, at a group of players below her. She was wearing a desert-colored military outfit, bulletproof armor of the same color, black fingerless gloves, combat boots, and had a white muffler around her neck. Her name was Sinon.

"We're in position," a man named Dyne said through a communication device.

"Roger that," Sinon responded. "Targets haven't changed their course or their speed. They're 400 meters from you, 1500 for me."

"Pretty far off," Dyne said. "Can you make the shot?"

"No sweat," she said.

"Okay. Fire when ready. I'm counting on you, Sinon."

"Roger," Sinon said as a green circle appeared in her vision as she looked through her scope. _"This pressure. This anxiety. This fear."_ She aimed towards the enemy player with a live ammo gun. _"1500 meters. That's nothing. Like tossing a balled-up wad of paper into a trash can. This is nothing like how it felt_ that _day!"_

Once Sinon locked onto the player's head, she pulled the trigger on her rifle and watched as the bullet soared towards its target and hit its mark, killing the player.

"Next," Sinon said simply.

**To be continued**


	2. Sinon

**September 14th, 2025**

Sinon had fallen down a trap chute while navigating a dungeon underneath SBC Glocken, the main city of GGO. She was immediately attacked by a boss-class monster but found that she was out of its attack range. Not wanting to waste the opportunity to kill it, she brought out her sniper rifle (not Hecate) and began firing at its weak spot, which was its forehead. It took her hours and half a dozen rounds before she managed to kill it, the monster shattering into blue polygons.

Sinon let out a deep breath as she stood up. She then looked over the list of items she obtained from the boss and saw that she obtained the Ultima Ratio Hecate II.

"Hecate," Sinon said to herself, deciding to use that for her new weapon's nickname.

**December 7th, 2025**

Sinon was in the Wild Field in GGO with a squad of PvP players, all of whom were guys. Her combat outfit was a desert-colored military outfit, bulletproof armor of the same color, black fingerless gloves, combat boots, and had a white muffler around her neck. It was dusk as a dusty breeze swept across the land. They were all gearing up while waiting for another squad of players to show up, who were taking longer than expected.

"Yo Dyne," one of the players, named Ginrou, said impatiently to the man dressed like a cowboy. "Are you sure you got the right info? Are they coming or not?"

"They're coming, alright," Dyne assured. "I checked the route myself. I'll bet they're just holed up fighting some monsters. That means your cut will be much bigger, so no complaining."

"I'm not," Ginrou replied. "But this is the same gang we attacked last week, right? They could've gotten wary and changed their route…"

Dyne shook his head. "All this squad does is hunt monsters," he answered. "They don't care how many times they get attacked since they can make up for it with their next hunt. They're perfect for Player Hunter squads like us. They move by algorithm, just like monsters. As far as I'm concerned, they're chumps!"

"Damn straight," Ginrou agreed.

"They're all armed with optical guns for hunting monsters," Dyne continued. "As long as we have our defense shields, so those will only deal half as much damage to us."

"But what if they got smart?" Ginrou questioned. "Maybe they made a plan to deal with PvP squads like us?"

"We hit them not to long ago," Dyne said. "There's no way they could have gotten enough live ammo guns, which bypass defense shields, so quickly. They'll only have one firearm for support. And besides," he turned towards Sinon, who was sitting by the ruined wall near him with her Hecate out, "we have the best sniper in GGO to help us. We've got all our bases covered. Right, Sinon?"

"If you say so," Sinon said nonchalantly.

Ginrou cracked a grin as he eyed the sniper. "Guess I can't argue with that. With Sinon's long distance attack in our arsenal, we've still got the edge."

Dyne cleared his throat. "Exactly."

"But if she misses, it'll take them about a minute to figure out where the shot came from, and while they do that, I'll hose them down and rake in the money!" Ginrou then crawled over to the sniper. "So anyway, doll face, any plans after this? I know this gun shop with an awesome inventory. Or we could do something else. What do you think?"

Sinon sighed in exasperation. "Not interested, Ginrou," she said. "Besides, I have stuff to take care of in the real world."

"Seriously, doll face," Ginrou said in annoyance. "Are you still in school or something?"

"Lay off her, Ginrou," one of the other players, Jin, intervened. "Can't you see you're putting her on the spot? You shouldn't bring up real world issues in here."

"Yeah, man," another player, Miso, added. "You're just trying to change your solo status."

"Hey, come on!" Ginrou exclaimed. "When was the last time either of you got lucky?!"

Sinon just sighed as the men joked among themselves. _"Men, they're always the same, whether IRL or in-game,"_ she thought to herself.

Suddenly the fifth member of the squad spotted their targets approaching, catching everyone's attention.

"About time they showed up," Dyne said as he pulled out a pair of binoculars and saw the monster-hunting squad. Sinon did the same with the scope on her Hecate.

"They've got seven members now," Dyne commented. "That's one more than last week. We've got four with optical blasters in the vanguard. One with a large-caliber laser rifle, and a guy with a Minimi, a machine gun. That guy needs to go down first."

Meanwhile, Sinon fixed her gaze on the seventh member, who was wearing a cloak that also hid his weapon from sight. For some reason, it made her feel uneasy. Once Dyne commented on it, Ginrou got nervous.

"A guy with a cloak?" Ginrou said. "Do you think it's that Death Gun guy people are talking about?"

Dyne just scoffed. "No way. As if a guy like that really exists! He looks like a STR build courier. He's probably just carrying all the items they got, plus extra ammo and energy packs. He's no threat."

Sinon didn't relax, however. "I'm getting a bad vibe from this guy," she voiced. "I think we should take this guy out first."

Dyne shook his head. "No way," he replied. "He's not even carrying any weapons."

"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't," Sinon said. "But he's an unknown, so he's a risk."

"I hear what you're saying, but that Minimi is an obvious threat. If he starts lighting us up and those blasters move in, it'll get ugly real fast."

Sinon sighed in defeat and nodded. "Understood," she said. "I'll drop the guy with the Minimi first. But Mr. Cloak's my second target."

"Hate to interrupt," said the fifth member, Arashi. "But they're at 2500 meters."

"All right," Dyne said. "We'll stick with the original plan and wait for them in the shadow of that building. Sinon, call out if the situation changes. Wait for my order to fire."

"Roger," the sniper replied.

Dyne then rose to his feet. "All right, move out." He and the other squad members hurried to get in-position for the ambush.

Sinon put on her earpiece so Dyne could communicate when needed. After a few minutes, Dyne said, "We're in position."

"Roger that," Sinon responded. "Targets haven't changed their course or their speed. They're 400 meters from you, 1500 for me."

"Pretty far off," Dyne said. "Can you make the shot?"

"No sweat," she said.

"Okay. Fire when ready. I'm counting on you, Sinon."

"Roger," Sinon said as a green circle appeared in her vision as she looked through her scope. _"This pressure. This anxiety. This fear."_ She aimed towards the enemy player with a live ammo gun. _"1500 meters. That's nothing. Like tossing a balled-up wad of paper into a trash can. This is nothing like how it felt_ that _day!"_

Once Sinon locked onto the player's head, she pulled the trigger on her rifle and watched as the bullet soared towards its target and hit its mark, killing the player.

"Next!" Sinon said as she aimed for the cloaked man and fired again.

However, the man saw a red line, which showed her bullet's path and easily dodged it. Sinon then looked around and saw that she couldn't change her position to reset the sniper's first shot rule, which hid the Bullet Line.

"I cleared the first target," Sinon said through her earpiece. "But not the second one."

"Roger that," Dyne replied. "Sit tight there. Go, go, go!"

Sinon watched as her squad prepared to attack through her scope. Suddenly she saw her second target remove his cloak, revealing a minigun underneath.

_"Oh no,"_ Sinon said in shock. _"They're not late because their hunt was running long. They were moving slow because that minigun's got a Movement Penalty!"_

The minigun-user, known as Behemoth, readied his weapon while his squad mates engaged the PvP squad. As Ginrou casually aimed his gun, the optical blasts simply struck his defense shield, not affecting him. He managed to kill one before taking cover behind a nearby rock to reload. Suddenly Behemoth fired his minigun at Ginrou, easily killing him.

Dyne and the other PvP squad members were shocked. Sinon then gasped as she saw Behemoth smile over his kill. The sniper picked up her Hecate rifle and hurried over to her teammates.

_"What was that?"_ Sinon said in confusion. _"If he can smile in the middle of a firefight, he must be pretty brave or crazy. Either way, he's mine!"_

Meanwhile, Dyne and the others weren't making any progress against the enemy squad, especially since they constantly had to take cover to avoid Behemoth's attacks.

"Crap!" Dyne said in frustration. "Don't let them get closer!"

"G-Gotcha!" the third member replied as he opened fire on the enemy players, who all took cover behind some debris.

Dyne examined his surroundings to find a place for them to hide but was coming up empty. He then saw Sinon hurrying to their position, avoiding laser blasts and bullets along the way.

Once she arrived, Dyne said, "Those bastards. They brought a freaking bodyguard! That guy with the minigun, he's called 'Behemoth'."

"Well we can't just sit here, or we'll be wiped out," Sinon voiced. "That minigun's only got so much ammo, so if we attack him all at once, he'll panic and burn through the rest of it. Jin and Miso, you go left. Dyne and I will go right. Arashi, you back us up from here."

"That's crazy," Dyne rejected. "What about the three guys with the blasters? Even if we rush them, our defense shields won't be enough."

"Right, but their blasters can't fire as fast as live ammo guns," Sinon replied calmly. "We can just dodge them."

"That won't work! If we charge them, we'll get shelled by that minigun! Sorry, but we're packing it in. We might as well log out right now…"

"You don't get away from things by logging out," Sinon said, surprising her squad leader.

"Are you kidding! This is just a game! Don't take it so seriously. Even if we charged them, we'd only die for nothing…"

"Then die!" Sinon exclaimed as she grabbed Dyne by his collar. "Since this is a game, you should have the guts to face death here instead of whining!"

All the guys were speechless.

"We can do this," Sinon continued as she let go of the cowboy. "If you can distract Behemoth for three seconds, I can take him out." The guys all nodded in agreement. "Then let's split up and attack them from both sides."

The PvP squad then prepared to make their final stand. As soon as Sinon gave the signal, Arashi immediately fired at the enemy squad while she, Dyne, Jin, and Miso advanced. Sinon switched to her Glock 18C, since it was better for rapid-fire, and fired at the enemy squad.

"Dyne! Cover me!" Sinon ordered as she rolled over by a pillar and switched back to Hecate. She aimed right for Behemoth's head, who barely dodged in time, however his visor was destroyed. She then watched as he aimed his minigun at her with a smile on his face.

However, just as soon as he pulled the trigger, Dyne shot him in the arm, causing Behemoth to miss the sniper.

"How do you like that, bastard?!" Dyne boasted before taking cover behind more debris.

Behemoth shrugged off the attack and saw that Sinon had vanished, who had hidden behind more debris. From her position, she saw Dyne's defense shield begin to fail, causing optical weapons to deal normal damage to him.

Dyne looked straight at Sinon with resolved look before charging recklessly at the enemy squad, not bothering to avoid their shots. He was killed by a laser blast in the head, causing his body to shatter into red polygons, but before he died, he managed to toss one of his plasma grenades at them, which killed two of them when it exploded and left the third paralyzed. Behemoth, however, was out of range, so he wasn't affected.

_"Nice work, Dyne,"_ Sinon said. _"Now I've got to figure out how to get into Behemoth's blind spot."_ She examined her surrounding to find a new position, which was a ruined skyscraper. _"I have to hurry before he finds out my location."_

Sinon immediately took off running towards the building, while also avoiding Behemoth's gaze and hurried up the stairs. _"Bullets are flying, and he's got the guts to smile like that."_ The stair ended abruptly due to part of it having collapsed, but Sinon managed to jump to the next level and continued ascending. _"Maybe I'll do the same when I kill him!"_

Sinon then reached the top of the stairs and hurried down a hallway, towards Behemoth. Once she reached a broken window, she aimed her rifle down at the minigun-user, only to see that he was also aiming at her as well. Sinon quickly overcame her shock and jumped out the window and began free falling towards her target.

Behemoth immediately opened fire and managed to sever Sinon's left leg, but she kept descending and actually managed to get directly above him, out of the minigun's range. He merely watched as she aimed her Hecate at him and fired. Sinon's bullet went straight through Behemoth's skull, killing him instantly.

**Later**

Shino Asada had logged off and found herself lying on her bed. Once she removed her Amusphere, she raised her right hand and attempted to make a finger gun but couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Damn it," Shino cursed. "I've got to get stronger."

**Meanwhile in ALO**

Marth had logged onto Alfheim Online and found himself in Yggdrasil City. He was wearing the same outfit he wore when New Aincrad was added to the game. Lunara was strapped to his back.

"Hey Marth!" Yuuki called out. "Are you coming or not?!" She was flying above the Spriggan along with Thorrnn, Leafa, Silica, Asuna with Yui sitting on her shoulder, Kirito, Lisbeth, Klein and Celina.

Marth chuckled at his girlfriend's impatience and said, "I'm coming! I'm coming!" The Dark Swordsman took off into the air to join his friends. "Relax. It's not like the monsters we're hunting are going anywhere."

Lisbeth and Celina needed to restock their materials, so they could enhance everyone's weapons even further, so they all decided to lend a hand with gathering them.

They all flew away from the World Tree. The group arrived at a grassy area with rock pillars scattered across the field.

"This is it," Lisbeth said noticing all the plant and rock golem monsters. "Since the monsters here are high level, we'll get what we need even faster."

Klein unsheathed his katana. "All right guys. Let's show these things what the Alfheim Warriors can do!" he exclaimed proudly.

Celina let out a sigh. "I thought we told you not to call us that," the brown-haired Leprechaun deadpanned, causing the Salamander to sulk.

Kirito chuckled at his friend's reaction. "Lay off him, Celina," the black-eyed Spriggan said. "Klein's worked really hard to come up with a name for us. Honestly, I'm surprised we haven't become our own guild yet. 'The Alfheim Warriors' sounds like a cool name."

"Totally," Yuuki agreed. "I'm down with using a name like that for a guild. It sounds awesome!"

Klein quickly perked up and said, "Thanks guys. We really should make a guild with all of us, and Marth and Kirito should be the leaders of it."

The two Spriggans reeled back in surprise. "Why us?" Marth asked hastily.

Yui formed a big smile on her face. "Easy. You and Daddy were the strongest players from SAO. You then rescued Mommy and Aunt Yuuki from that mean man, Sugou," she said cheerfully. "Daddy and Uncle Marth were also the ones who cleared SAO by beating Heathcliff and Zelgius. They'd be the best guild leaders ever."

Asuna giggled. "You heard her, everyone," the Undine replied. "It's because of Marth and Kirito that most of us here are alive. I'm all for it."

"Me too!" Silica said. Pina screeched in agreement.

"Me three!" Yuuki added.

"Same here," Celina added.

Both Marth and Kirito scratched their heads. "It's hard to argue with that," the Black Swordsman said. "Besides, the Knights of the Blood Oath had two guild leaders too, so its not _that_ hard to believe."

"How about we form a guild after we're done hunting today?" Leafa suggested.

Everyone, except Marth and Kirito, nodded in agreement. The Dark Swordsman flew over to his fellow Spriggan and whispered, "Should we tell them of our plan to convert our ALO accounts to GGO so we can investigate the player deaths?"

"We don't have a choice," Kirito muttered. "But let's leave out the Death Gun thing. We'll just say we're doing an experiment for the government."

Marth nodded in acknowledgement. "Okay."

"Is everyone ready?" Klein asked. Everyone else drew their weapons and descended towards the monsters.

Marth, Kirito, Yuuki and Klein took the lead and drew the plant monsters' attention. The monsters swung their vines at the fairies, but they cut them with their swords. Leafa and Thorrnn sliced at the sides of one of the monsters before it was finished off by Silica. One of the monsters grabbed the younger Cait Sith's legs and pulled her towards it.

"Help!" Silica cried out in fear.

"Hang on," Marth said before severing the monster's vines with his sword, freeing Silica.

The Cait Sith scratched her head with embarrassment. "Thanks. Again," she said nervously.

The Spriggan smirked while resting Lunara on his shoulder. "Anytime," he said. Suddenly the plant monster charged at the Dark Swordsman. Marth simply raised his other hand skyward as purple electricity sparked off him. "«Raging Bolt»!" Marth shouted before summoning a large bolt of purple lightning that struck the plant monster from above, killing it instantly.

"Nice," Thorrnn praised. "You're getting good with your lightning magic. You didn't even have to chant the incantation."

"All thanks to your coaching," Marth replied with a light smile.

"A little help here?!" Klein shouted as he blocked an overhead swing from a stone golem with his katana but couldn't move at all.

Marth and Kirito locked eyes and shared a smirk. "When I give the signal, Klein, take a knee," the Black Swordsman said.

The Salamander grunted as he struggled to keep himself from getting crushed. "I-I'll try!" Klein managed to say.

Marth and Kirito stood shoulder to shoulder before breaking into a sprint. Both their swords glowed green as they each activated «Windfury».

"Now Klein!" Kirito exclaimed.

As the Salamander did what he was told, the Darkness Duo did an upward swing on the golem's arm, forcing it away from the fairies with a burst of wind.

Klein let out a pant. "Thanks guys," he said tiredly. "I owe ya one."

"Maybe next time you should try not taking these things on alone," Marth suggested as Celina and Lisbeth finished off the stone golem. "Kirito and I won't always be around to bail you out of sticky situations like this."

Klein stood back up. "Yeah. You're probably right, like always," the Salamander admitted. "Let's get back in the fight. We can't let the girls get more kills than us. They'll never let it go if they do."

Kirito laughed in amusement. "Only you would say something like that, Klein," the Spriggan replied before the trio re-joined the rest of the team.

Suddenly an enormous stone golem appeared before the fairies.

"Crap," Asuna said in frustration. "That thing's a rare elite monster. This'll be tough to beat."

Yuuki simply smiled. "Relax, Asuna," she said reassuringly. "We'll be all right. Did you forget that Marth can use Wolf Heart and Dragon Soul to power himself up?"

Asuna returned the smile as she recalled the Dark Swordsman using Wolf Heart to get the party out of a few jams in the past, but she also knew the reason why he avoided using Dragon Soul, despite it being much stronger.

"I still don't know how I got those skills at all," Marth admitted. "It's almost like when I got my «Dual-Wielding» skill back in SAO, but different."

"Well what are you waiting for?" Lisbeth exclaimed in frustration as she was barely able to block the golem's arm with her shield, which reduced her HP slightly because of the impact. "Use them!"

Marth simply sighed in defeat. "All right," he said slowly before closing his eyes. Suddenly Marth was surrounded by a dark aura. He began growing black fur before he changed into a black wolf with white markings. He let out a beastly howl as the transformation finished.

"You done showing off yet?" Thorrnn deadpanned, getting an annoyed growl from Marth in response. "Sorry, I don't speak wolf. Can you say that again in English?"

"Thorrnn!" Leafa scolded her friend. "You know Marth can't talk in his wolf form. Stop bullying him, especially when he can easily destroy you with his _other_ form."

The greenette flinched as she recalled the first time she saw her brother use Dragon Soul and what happened afterward. Marth then charged at the golem with impressive speed, easily evading its attacks. The Dark Swordsman then tackled the golem to the ground and bit into its neck, damaging it somewhat.

The golem tried to counter by swinging its right arm at the wolf, but Marth easily dodged it. The golem began attacking recklessly, trying and failing to hit the wolf, when suddenly Kirito intercepted one of its attacks with his sword.

The Black Swordsman looked over his shoulder and eyed his best friend. "Now Marth!" Kirito exclaimed. "Finish it!"

Marth nodded and switched back to his Spriggan form and began chanting one of his lightning spells, the «Heavenward Tempest». He swung his sword in an arc, sending a large blast of purple lightning at the golem, instantly vaporizing it in an explosion of electricity.

"Way to go, Marth!" Yuuki cheered.

The Dark Swordsman simply sheathed his sword. "That was nothing," he passed off.

With the elite monster gone, the group went back to mob hunting. After a thirty minutes of fighting monsters, Lisbeth and Celina checked all the items they got. "Okay, I think that's enough," Celina said.

Silica sighed in relief. Even though she had become a lot stronger since SAO, fighting monsters nonstop still took its toll on her. "Finally," the young Cait Sith said as Pina let out a yawn while resting on her shoulder.

Everyone laid down on the grass and looked at the sky. New Aincrad could be seen floating above them. "It's nice being able to fight monsters without having to worry about dying in the real world," Asuna said.

All the SAO Survivors nodded.

"I can't imagine how things must've been for all of you," Thorrnn said. "Having to keep a constant eye on your HP to survive sounded really hard."

"It wasn't that bad," Kirito replied. "If you had any Teleport Crystals, you could always retreat if things aren't in your favor. Most of the time anyway."

After a few minutes of silence, Marth and Kirito sat up.

"Hey guys," Marth said. "Kirito and I are going to convert our ALO accounts to Gun Gale Online."

"What!?" Everyone else shouted in surprise. They all sat up and faced the Spriggans.

"Why would you two do that?" Asuna asked. "When you convert an avatar to another game, your items reset. You won't be able to use anything you got from the other game."

The ex-Beaters raised their hands in defense. "Don't worry," Kirito said hastily. "It's just for a couple days. Once we've done what we needed to do, we'll convert back to ALO and our items will be restored."

"But why?" Yuuki questioned. "Whenever you guys want to play other MMOs, you just use new accounts. Why is this time different?"

"Sorry, but Marth and I have our reasons for this," Kirito replied. "We're just doing a favor for Chrysheight. We kind of owe him and the government for keeping all the SAO Survivors out of the press."

"But why you two?" Leafa said.

"He…wants to see how the two top players of SAO do in a cyber-game," Marth said hesitantly.

Asuna let out a sigh. "I don't like this, but please be careful you two," the Undine told the former solo players. "You've never played on a cyber VRMMO before. Watch out for each other, okay."

Kirito nodded. "We will," the Spriggan replied. "Promise."


	3. Memories of Fresh Blood

**December 9th, 2025**

Shino Asada was leaving her high school after classes had ended for the day. She had short brown hair and eyes and wore a light brown coat and scarf over her school uniform. She was also wearing non-prescription eyeglasses too. It was chilly out, so Shino covered her face with her scarf before heading to the market district.

**Later**

As Shino was looking through the vegetable section, she heard a female voice say, "Shino Asada!"

Shino turned and saw two girls approach her.

"What do you want?" Shino questioned.

"Endou wants to see you," one of the girls replied.

The GGO player gritted her teeth at the mention of the female bully. She reluctantly followed the two lackeys into an alley, where Endou was waiting.

"About time you got here, Shino," Endou said. "I need a favor. We ended up playing too much karaoke and now we don't have enough money for the train home. We need 10,000 yen. We'll pay you back tomorrow. Promise."

"10,000 yen!" Shino exclaimed. "I don't have that much money on me. Besides, that's way too much money for train fare. Find your own way home." She then turned to leave.

Endou growled in frustration. "Damn you," she said. "Don't mess with me!" The bully approached Shino, prompting her to turn around. Endou then made an imitation of a pistol with her hand, prompting Shino to panic.

Shino's legs began shaking as she found herself overcome with fear.

"Bang," Endou said as Shino backed into the wall. "Poor Shino. My big brother has a few model guns. Maybe I should bring them to school and show them to you. I know you 'like' guns, especially pistols."

Shino shook her head fiercely but couldn't respond.

"Looks like someone's gonna hurl," one of the other girls mocked. "Remember that one time in class where you threw up and passed out? The classroom reeked for days afterward."

"All you have to do is give us your money and we'll let you go," Endou said. "Don't you want to go home, Shino?"

Endou reached for Shino's bag when suddenly a male voice cried out, "Officer! There's a girl being mugged in that alley!"

Endou gritted her teeth before she and her lackeys fled the scene. When they were gone, Shino fell to her knees in relief.

"Are you okay, Shino?" the same voice asked.

Shino turned around and saw her friend and fellow GGO player, Shinkawa Kyouji, behind her. He had brown hair and wore a yellow jacket and khakis and looked around sixteen years old.

"Kyouji," Shino said slowly. "Did you…?"

The boy nodded. "I saw you being harassed and decided to help." Kyouji offered his hand to her. "C'mon. Let's get going before they realize it was a trick and come back."

Shino nodded and allowed Kyouji to pull her back up. The two friends exited the alley and went to a nearby café.

"I heard what happened the other day," Kyouji stated as Shino took a sip from her drink. "You went on a rampage and took out Behemoth. That's awesome."

Shino smiled. "Yeah, but as a strategy, it failed big time," she replied. "My squadron lost four of its five members. If that's the outcome of an ambush, it's not really a win."

"No way," an adult said suddenly. "Is that him?!"

Shino and Kyouji turned towards the commotion and saw none other than Frank and Meg enter the café.

"Unbelievable," another person said. "It's Frank Storm. He's one of the guys who beat Sword Art Online!"

Frank growled in annoyance at the attention he was getting.

"Someone's popular," Meg teased with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Shut up," Frank retorted.

Shino and Kyouji watched as the siblings sat in a booth and ordered some food and drinks.

"I heard he can change into a wolf _and_ a dragon in Alfheim Online," one teen said.

"I heard that he's an expert with lightning magic," another teen added. "He's so skilled that he doesn't even need to use the incantations to cast the spells."

Kyouji scoffed. "Jeez, what a show-off," he said. "He just walks in here and starts a commotion. All he did was beat a death game."

Shino could've sworn she saw Frank glance in their direction, but quickly passed it off. "Calm down, Kyouji," Shino replied. "Don't forget, he is one of the top players in Alfheim Online. But still…" The GGO sniper glanced at the Dark Swordsman. "There's something strange about him. Something different."

Kyouji looked at his friend curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It's just a feeling." Shino then returned her focus to her fellow GGO player.

Kyouji took sip from his drink. "Anyway, what are your plans for the next BoB tournament?"

"I'm definitely competing," Shino answered. "I've got almost all the data from the top 20 players from the last tournament. Not to mention that I've got my Hecate. With her, I should be able to reach the upper ranks."

_"If I can shoot all my enemies and prove to be the strongest, I'll be free,"_ the GGO sniper thought.

"Wow, Shino," Kyouji said in awe. "You're amazing. Having that awesome gun is one thing, but you were also smart enough to put your points in your strength (STR) stat to use it. I'm the one who got you into GGO and you've already left me behind."

Shino shook her head. "That's not true," she reassured. "In the last qualifier round, you made it to the semifinals."

Kyouji let out a heavy sigh. "Whatever. An AGI build only gets you so far unless you get a rare gun. I totally messed up with my stats."

"So you won't be competing in the next BoB?"

"Nope," Kyouji answered. "There'd be no point."

"I see," Shino said slowly. "How are your studies coming along? You still want to be a doctor?"

"Yeah. It is the family business," Kyouji said in exasperation. "I promised my dad I'd go to med school, so I've got no choice."

"You're taking the GED course at cram school, right? Are those going alright?"

"I'm doing alright. I'm maintaining the same rank I had when I started," Kyouji said before saluting. "I'm staying sharp on that front, Ma'am."

"Good job," Shino said with pride. "The only reason I asked is because you spend so much time in GGO. How do you make enough time to study?"

"I do most of my studying during the day and I take lots of breaks too."

"If you're diving all the time, you must make a lot of money, right?" Shino asked curiously.

Kyouji shook his head. "Not really. Solo hunting for AGI builds is practically impossible now."

That caught Shino off-guard. "But you're obviously making enough for the subscription fee," she answered before noticing that it was nearly 6:00, prompting her to stand up and put her coat on. "It's getting late. I have to get going now."

"Oh yeah," Kyouji said. "You're still making your own dinner, aren't you? I'd love to try it again sometime."

"Uh, sure," Shino said nervously. "But not until I get better at it, okay? Anyway, thanks for saving me today, and for the tea. See you tomorrow."

"No problem," Kyouji answered. "See you."

Shino turned to leave and saw that Frank and Meg were exiting the café. She followed them out but chose not to interact with them before heading for her apartment. Shino didn't get back home until it was dark out. After entering her apartment and locking the door behind her, she took her coat off and went to the drawer in her bedroom. She opened one of the drawers and pulled out a model gun she got for competing in the last B.O.B. tournament. However, as soon as she brought out the gun, traumatic memories surfaced in her mind, causing Shino to have a panic attack.

After vomiting in the toilet and flushing it, Shino began recalling previous events in her childhood. She never knew her father since he died in a car accident before she was two years old. She and her mother then left Tokyo and stayed with her grandparents.

_"It was peaceful there,"_ Shino thought. _"Until…"_

Nine years after the move, Shino and her mother went to post office to make a withdrawal, since Japan's post offices had banking functions. As her mother was talking to the employees, Shino noticed a filthy, intoxicated man carrying a bag enter the building. The man went up to the counter and pushed Shino's mother to the ground before pulling out a Type 54 Black Star.

"Put the money in the bag!" the man commanded, striking fear into everyone present. "And don't even think about pressing the alarm button!"

"Mom," Shino said in worry as her mother was petrified by fear.

"Don't just stand there!" the man shouted. "Start filling it up!"

The employee at the desk slowly nodded. "Y-yes sir." The employee reached for a wad of money behind him and proceeded to put it in the bag, only for the robber to snatch it out of his hand. The employee quickly hit the alarm button to notify the police, prompting the robber to shoot him and apparently kill him.

"I told you not to press the button!" the robber said in rage. He then pointed his gun at a woman behind the counter, prompting her to freeze. "Hey, you! Get over here and start packing the money!"

The woman was too terrified to move, prompting the robber to point his gun at Shino's mother. "Hurry up or I'll kill her too!"

That did it for Shino as she ran at the robber and bit his hand that had the pistol in it. The robber managed to break free by slamming Shino into the side of the counter, but he ended up dropping his gun in the process. Shino quickly grabbed the gun, prompting the robber to jump on her to get his gun back. Filled with fear, Shino accidently pulled the trigger, shooting the robber in the stomach, causing him to get off her.

The robber tried to get his gun back again, only for Shino to instinctively shoot him in the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. As he tried to get up, Shino shot him right in the forehead, killing him.

Shino took several heavy breathes before noticing the horrified expression on her mother's face. She then saw that she drops of the man's blood on her clothes, prompting the young girl to scream as she realized what she did.

In the present, Shino laid on her bed with despair in her eyes. "Someone," she said slowly. "Please save me."

**December 10th, 2025**

Frank and Kazuto were on their way to the Toritsu Central Hospital, which was the same hospital they stayed at during their rehabilitation. Kikuoka had two rooms set up with high security there so the teens wouldn't be in any danger, at least in the real world.

"I'm a little nervous about this, Kazuto," Frank said as they walked into the hospital elevator.

"Me too," Kazuto admitted. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet or something?"

Frank smirked. "Heck no," he replied. "It's just that we're diving into a game that we've never played before to investigate something that could be fake."

"The audio clip Kikuoka gave us didn't tell us much about Death Gun besides his voice. It's not much to go on but it's something," Kazuto said as they exited the elevator. Once they reached their designated rooms Kazuto added, "I'll see you in Gun Gale Online."

"Likewise," said Frank before the duo each went into their separate rooms. It was a typical hospital room, minus the fact that it had a fifty-inch TV on the wall. On the bed was an Amusphere. There was also a nurse that Frank didn't expect to see as well. "Mrs. Blackburn?! What are you doing here?"

Victoria's mother, whose name was Serena, laughed at his reaction. "Mr. Kikuoka thought it would be best if you and Kazuto were watched by people who helped you during your rehabilitation," she explained. "You'll need to remove your jacket and shirt so I can hook you up to the heart monitor."

"O-okay," Frank said nervously as he took off his jacket and shirt before setting them on a chair. After he was hooked up to the heart monitor, Frank laid down on the bed and put the Amusphere on his head.

"Good luck out there," Serena said cheerfully.

Frank formed a reluctant smile before closing his eyes and said, "Link Start!" He then entered the VRMMO Gun Gale Online.


	4. Gun Gale Online

Frank, as Marth, spawned at the game's capital city called SBC Glocken. He looked around and saw a bunch of male players around the city.

_"This is a lot different from Alfheim,"_ Marth thought. _"Go figure, killing players is the whole point of this game."_ He looked down to examine his outfit. He was wearing a black jacket with silver trimming, silver pants and black boots.

"Uh, Marth?" a familiar voice said reluctantly. Marth turned expecting Kirito but saw a player with long black hair that went down to their waist, eyes of the same color, a white jacket with black trimming, black pants and brown shoes. Marth assumed the player was a girl because of their appearance but something felt familiar about the player. "Wait, never mind," the player said.

Marth then instantly recognized the voice. "Is that you, Kirito?" he asked hesitantly.

The other player's eyes widened. "Wait, Marth?!" Kirito said in surprise before they each noticed a strand of hair appear in their vision.

"What the?" the duo said in confusion before seeing their reflections. Kirito saw his avatar's feminine features, and Marth noticed the same with his, only his hair was silver and his eyes were a sapphire-blue. Needless to say, both players screamed in shock.

"No. No. No," Marth said in denial. "Please tell me our avatars don't look like girls!"

"Afraid so," Kirito replied in the same tone. They sighed in relief when they saw that the only thing that made their avatars appear female was the long hair. "I wish I looked a little more soldierish though."

They were interrupted when someone behind them said, "No way! Are those the F1300 models?!" The duo quickly turned around and saw a male player in a yellow cloak and goggles. "Those avatars are so rare that this is the first time I've seen them in person. Care to sell each of your accounts for two mega-credits to me, ladies?"

"Uh, hate to burst your bubble but we're both guys," Kirito said nervously.

The man gasped in surprise. "No way! That means you two have the M9000 models," he said excitedly. "Those are even rarer! I'll give you guys five, no six mega-credits for them."

Marth sighed in exasperation. "Sorry, but these are converted avatars, not default ones," he explained. "There's no way we'd sell them for cash."

Kirito nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "Sorry."

The man sighed in disappointment. "Well that sucks," he said. "If you two change your minds, give me the first bid." He then walked off.

"Why do I have the feeling that this won't be the last time guys will mistake us for girls?" Marth said in annoyance.

Kirito adjusted some of his hair so it wouldn't block his vision. "Let it go, Marth," he told the sliver-haired player. "Let's just focus on finding a way to make a name for ourselves so we'll get Death Gun's attention."

Marth reluctantly nodded and the duo headed off into a random direction. Both Marth and Kirito groaned in disgust as male players constantly flirted with them, thinking they were girls. After a while, they were totally lost.

"I have absolutely no idea where we are," Marth said as he looked around. "Some short cut this was."

"We need to find a store to get gear and weapons, and we need to find the Governor's Office so we can sign up for Bullet of Bullets," Kirito replied before scratching his head. "But I don't know where anything is here. We'll have to ask the next player we see for help."

The duo then saw Sinon, in casual clothing, in the distance. She had heard the duo running towards her and could tell that they were completely lost.

"Let me guess," Sinon said. "You're both newcomers, aren't you?" She smiled sympathetically. "You girls need some help?"

Both Marth and Kirito hid their shock. _"Oh great. She thinks we're girls too,"_ Marth thought. _"It looks like we'll have no choice but to play along."_ After a slight internal conflict, Marth held his face with his hand and said in a feminine voice, "Yeah. We just started today. My friend and I need to find a place to buy a gun and some armor."

Kirito quickly caught on and said in the same tone, "And we also need to find the Governor's Office too."

"Alright. I know a great market," Sinon replied. "I'm Sinon by the way. Follow me."

"Thank you. My name's Kirito," the black-haired player said. "And this is Marth."

The newcomers began following Sinon to a gun shop.

_"It's not cool to do this, but it might be best if we let her think Kirito and I are girls for now,"_ Marth thought. _"I only hope I don't have to keep this up for too long."_

"So Kirito, Marth, why do you two want to go to the Governor's Office?" Sinon asked as they walked.

"We want to sign up for Bullet of Bullets," Kirito replied.

"BoB?! It takes a lot of guts to do that right when you first start," Sinon said in surprise. "Are both of your stats high enough to actually stand a chance?"

"We converted over from another game, so all our stats were transferred to this one," Marth explained. "I'm sure we'll stand more than a chance."

"What game did you two play before?" Sinon asked curiously.

"Just your typical fantasy games," Kirito said. "Marth and I are friends in real life, so we decided to try a cyber-game together."

"Well you two picked one heck of a game to start," Sinon said. "GGO is no picnic. It smells of grime and oil."

They arrived at the gun store. The newcomers looked in awe at all the different weapons and gear that were available.

"Wow, this place looks like it has everything," Kirito said.

"Well the two types of guns GGO uses are optical guns and live-ammo guns," Sinon explained. "An optical gun is lighter and more accurate, but if your opponent has a defense shield, it only does half the damage. For something like BoB, a live-ammo gun's your best bet."

"I see," Marth said slowly.

"Since you're both using converted accounts, what are your best stats?" Sinon asked curiously.

"Well, our highest stat is strength, then speed is our second," Kirito replied.

Sinon thought for a moment. "You're both STR-AGI types. Well then, I'd recommend a heavy assault rifle or a machine gun for your main weapons," she explained. "You'll both need a small handgun for back-up too." She didn't notice that both players were confused on what she was talking about. "Wait, you two just converted. Do you have any credits?"

"Maybe," Marth said slowly as he and Kirito opened their main menus. "It says we each have a thousand credits."

Sinon chuckled. "Everyone starts out with that," she said. "But a thousand credits aren't enough to buy even a used revolver. I could loan you two the money if you want?"

Both Kirito and Marth shook their heads. "That's nice of you to offer, but we couldn't," Kirito said quickly before coming up with an idea. "I know. Is there a way for new players like us to get money quickly?"

"I don't really recommend them but there are gambling games where players can get credits," Sinon replied before taking the duo to mini-game called Untouchable. It was a narrow twenty-meter alley with a small wooden fence at the entrance and was themed around the Old West. There was a pop-out version of a house at the end with an NPC, who looked like a cowboy, in front.

"How do you play it?" Marth asked the sniper.

"You start at the wooden fence and run towards the NPC," Sinon explained. "The objective of this game is to touch the NPC without getting shot. If you do, you'll win all the money people spent trying to beat it."

Both new players gasped when they say the reward was 301,500 credits.

"That's a lot of money," Kirito said in exasperation.

"That's because no one's beaten it," Sinon replied. "When you pass the ten-meter mark, he switches to this super-fast quick-draw mode. By the time you see the Bullet Lines, it's too late."

Marth raised an eyebrow. "Bullet Lines? Wait, how does this help both me and Kirito?"

"There's a co-op option that allows two players to team up and both get the prize," Sinon explained. "However, they both need to touch the NPC at the same time to win, and he shoots a lot faster to compensate for having two targets. Also, if either of them gets shot, they both lose." The trio noticed a person with a blue camo outfit about to play the game. "Looks like another sucker wants a shot at the jackpot."

As soon as the game said go, the man took off running down the walkway. A lot of players were cheering for him. The man then stopped and did a weird pose.

"Why's he doing that?" Kirito asked curiously. His question was answered as three bullets sailed past the man. "Was that the Bullet Line?"

The sniper nodded in confirmation. "All players have a defensive skill that lets them see the exact path the bullets will go," Sinon said. "They're called Bullet Lines. Besides a sniper's first shot, the path lines for bullets will always show up in the target's field of vision."

The Dark Swordsman watched the challenger with interest. "Hmm," Marth hummed.

The man in the camo outfit had passed the ten-meter mark. Suddenly the NPC started firing much more quickly, causing the player to lose his balance and fall. As soon as he sat up, the NPC shot him in the chest. "Game over," the NPC said as the jackpot increased to 302,000 credits. The player exited the arena looking disappointed.

"You see, with alley being so narrow you have to charge the gunman head-on," Sinon said. "Just imagine trying to do the co-op mode. You'd have to fully understand your partner if you want to stand a chance."

Marth crossed his arms. "Of course. If we wait to see the Bullet Lines, we can't dodge them," he realized. He locked eyes with Kirito and thought the same thing.

As the duo walked over to the game, Sinon said, "What are you two doing?"

A couple of the guys whistled. "Those have to be the cutest targets I've ever seen," one player said.

"Ten credits that the newbs get shot at the gate," said the player with the camo outfit.

Marth and Kirito ignored the comments and selected the co-op challenge. "Let's show everyone how we fought monsters back in Sword Art Online," the black-haired player said.

The silver-haired player nodded. "There's more than one way to figure out an enemy's attack path," Marth added.

As soon as the gate opened, both players sprinted towards the NPC. Just as Sinon explained, the NPC was firing much faster than last time, but the Darkness Duo shocked everyone with their incredible agility and teamwork. They even managed to pass the ten-meter mark.

"No way!" one of the spectators exclaimed.

"Those girls are fast!" another player added.

Soon the duo was near the NPC, who seemingly ran out of bullets. Everyone gasped when he suddenly shot laser beams from his gun, but Marth and Kirito quickly jumped up and dodged them. They then landed right in front of the NPC and touched it together. They smirked over their victory as the NPC screamed in defeat. As money began pouring out of the house, the spectators' jaws dropped to the floor.

Kirito and Marth high-fived each other. "We still got it!" Kirito said.

"Totally," Marth replied before they accepted the prize money.

As soon as they exited the alley, everyone crowded around them.

"I've never seen anyone move like that, or that kind of teamwork," Sinon said in surprise. "How were you two able to dodge those lasers from two meters away? At that range there wouldn't have been any time between seeing the Bullet Lines and the shots fired."

Marth and Kirito looked a little embarrassed. "Well since it's a game of predictions, we just anticipated the Bullet Lines," Kirito admitted.

"We basically predicated the predictions," Marth said with a smile.

Everyone was taken aback. "Y-you predicated the predictions?!" Sinon exclaimed in shock. Even the NPC was surprised.

**Later**

Marth, Kirito and Sinon were looking around the shop for anything that got the new players' interest.

"I'm confused on the specs on this assault rifle," Kirito said. "This thing's huge, so why are the caliber of the bullet it fires smaller than a sub-machine gun's?"

Sinon eyed the black-haired player with interest. "I'm surprised that someone who can dodge bullets like a ghost and not know that," she said. "You guys said you converted from another game. What was it?"

"Nothing special," Marth replied, not wanting to share their history to someone they just met. "Just your typical fantasy games."

Sinon folded her arms and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "So you say. Whatever. I'll get an understanding of what you both can do during the BoB prelims."

The Darkness Duo let out a nervous laugh.

"Anyway," the sniper continued. "The reason why the bullet caliber on the assault rifle is so small is to have an increase in both precision and penetration power by using a small-caliber, high-powered bullet…" Sinon then paused. "But you two don't need to know that."

Both "girls" sighed in relief since they barely understood what she said. The trio ended up wandering around the store, examining the other available weapons.

"Now that you two have over 300,000 credits, you can pretty much buy whatever weapon you want," Sinon said. "It all comes down to what works best for you."

"What does work for us though?" Marth questioned until something caught his eye. "Hey Sinon, what are these?"

Sinon looked at what Marth pointing at, which looked like metal cylinders with a clip and a switch. "Those are photon swords," she explained. "It's a beam of light that you swing around like a sword. People nickname them laser blades, beam sabers, and something else I can't remember."

Both Marth and Kirito got excited. "No way. We can use swords here?" Kirito said eagerly.

"You can, but it's not really a good idea," Sinon replied.

Marth faced the sniper, confused. "Why not?"

"Well, you can't use it unless you're close to your target," Sinon stated. "By the time you close the distance, you'll get shot full of holes."

Kirito smirked. "So basically they're good as long as we get close," he said. He then bought a black photon sword while Marth bought a silver one.

Sinon shrugged in defeat as the Darkness Duo held their new weapons. "Oh well. I guess everyone's got their own style," she said.

"Hey, if they sell it in a store, then it must be good for battle," Marth replied. "Even this."

Kirito and Marth activated their photon swords, causing a purple and silver laser to extend from the respective hilts. They then put some distance between themselves before getting into their usual fighting stances. They both did an imitation of «Horizontal Square», matching the moves perfectly.

Sinon applauded for the demonstration. "So those are your fantasy game moves," she said. "Impressive."

Kirito smiled. "Marth and I know a couple of tricks," he replied before examining his photon sword. "This is really light."

Marth nodded. "Yeah. This'll take some getting used to," the silver-haired swordsman added. They both tried to sheath their swords on their backs, but quickly realizing their mistake.

"Since it's clear that those will be your main weapons, you two should a handgun as your secondary ones," Sinon suggested as the duo put their swords in their inventory. "It'll distract your target so you can get closer. How credits do you have?"

"About 150,000," Kirito replied.

"Same with me," Marth added.

"Jeez, those photon swords are expensive. We'll have to watch how much you both spend since you also need gear and extra mags for your back-up weapon."

Marth raised his hands up in defeat. "I'll trust your judgement with that."

"Me too," Kirito added.

Sinon then helped the duo find good back-up gun for them to use which ended up being the FN Five-Seven, which favored accuracy over firepower. After that, she helped them with getting their gear, a holster and extra mags with the credits they had left.

"Now that that's settled, you guys will need to do some range time," Sinon said after the new players finished getting their gear. "I doubt either of you fired a gun before, have you?"

The swordsmen shook their heads, prompting Sinon to take them to a shooting range near the shop. "When you buy a gun from the shop, you can test it here!" she explained loudly so Kirito and Marth could hear her over all the guns going off.

Once they found two unoccupied lanes, the duo brought out their handguns and each aimed them at a target with one hand.

"This sure is light," Kirito commented.

"That's because that model of gun is made out of a reinforced plastic," Sinon explained. "The recoil isn't too bad on it either. But you should grip it with two hands and keep your left eye open."

"Oh, right," Marth said as he and Kirito corrected their mistakes. Soon a green circle appeared in their line of vision that constantly shrunk and expanded.

"I'm sure you're both now seeing a green circle in your field of vision," Sinon said. "That is your offensive system assist called the Bullet Circle. The bullets you fire will hit randomly inside that circle."

"This is harder than I thought," Marth said slowly. "How do I boost my accuracy?"

"You'll need to stay calm. The faster your heart is beating, the more the circle expands," Sinon replied. "The other way is to get closer, but you can't do that here."

Marth and Kirito followed the sniper's advice and did their best in slowing down their heartrate. As soon as the circle was around the targets, they pulled the trigger. They both yelped in surprise from the gunfire and the recoil. Sinon then pushed a button to bring the targets to them, and they saw that they both missed.

"No way," Kirito said in disbelief.

"What did you expect? Hitting a target is a lot harder than it looks," Sinon replied before they left the shooting range. "Although, I would've been surprised if you both got a bullseye."

The trio then exited the gun range and went outside.

"Thanks for helping us, Sinon," Kirito said.

The sniper smiled and said, "It was my pleasure. There aren't that many female players here." Marth inwardly flinched since he and Kirito were actually guys. "I guess I'll see you two in BoB."

Marth raised an eyebrow. "You're entering it too?" the silver-haired swordsman asked.

Sinon nodded before checking the time, prompting her eyes to fill with worry. "Oh no. It's 2:50," she said. "Registration for Bullet of Bullets ends at 3:00."

Both Marth and Kirito panicked. "Crap. It's our fault you're late," Kirito replied.

"No. It's my fault for not watching the time. Come on," Sinon said before she started to run, prompting the duo to follow. "The Governor's Office is where we need to go to sign up. It's about four kilometers away. It'll take us five minutes to sign up, so we need to hurry."

Marth looked in the distance and saw their destination. "We won't make it. Can't we just teleport there?" he asked the sniper.

Sinon shook her head. "I wish. That only happens when you respawn at a revival point after you die. Suicide isn't an option because our HP won't deplete while we're in town."

Kirito then noticed a stand where players could rent a buggy and got an idea. "This way," he said quickly while running to the stand.

The other two followed the black-haired swordsman and they all got on the same buggy, with Kirito in the driver seat. The Black Swordsman proceeded to rent the vehicle and headed straight for the Governor's Office, while Sinon and Marth struggled to stay on.

"Wait a minute. These things are supposed to be really hard to drive," Sinon said as they raced towards their destination. "I don't know anyone who can, so how come a new player like you can?"

"I played a lot of racing games when I was little," Kirito lied. He and his partner knew that the real reason was because he has a motorcycle IRL. "Hold on tight guys." He then sped up the vehicle.

Marth noticed Sinon smile with joy as they held on to the sides of the buggy.


	5. Bullet of Bullets

Kirito quickly drove the buggy straight to the Governor's Office. He pulled over to the side when they arrived, prompting Sinon to grab both him and Marth by the arm and pulled them inside.

"C'mon!" the sniper exclaimed.

"Ow! Take it easy!" Marth protested before they entered the building. The SAO Survivors were amazed at how big the Governor's Office was and all the holographic advertisements on Bullet of Bullets. Sinon quickly led the duo to the registration booths.

"Can you two figure out how to work these or do you need help?" Sinon asked.

"I think we can manage," Kirito replied.

"Okay. I'll be registering next to you so talk to me if either of you need any help," the sniper said before she started to sign up.

"Okay. Thanks a lot."

Both Marth and Kirito took a booth, which was just a panel with a screen and touch pad and hit the Entry button. They were both surprised that they had to enter their real-life information but saw that they could use false info, but they won't get any top-ranked prizes if they won.

Marth debated on what to do before Sinon asked, "Are you two done?" Both Marth and Kirito panicked and quickly hit the Enter button without filling anything out.

"Yeah," Kirito replied quickly. "Thanks for all your help today."

Marth nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We would've been lost without you, Sinon. And sorry about nearly making you late for registration."

Sinon shook her head dismissively. "It's all right. That ride more than made up for it. What blocks are you two in?"

The swordsmen checked their booths. "I'm in the F block as number 37," Kirito said.

"I'm in G-24," Marth stated.

"Interesting," Sinon replied. "I'm in F as well as number 12. Talk about a coincidence." She promptly examined both her booth and Kirito's. "Good. We won't meet until the finals for the preliminary tournament, Kirito."

The black-haired swordsman raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand. Why's that good?"

"When two players meet in the finals of the prelims, it doesn't matter who wins or loses, they'll both be able to compete in the main tournament," Sinon explained. "That's means we both have a shot to enter as long as we make it to the final round." She looked at Kirito with determination. "But when we do meet up, I'll be playing to win."

Kirito smirked. "All right. In that case, I won't hold back either," he replied.

Sinon began leading the Darkness Duo to the elevator that will take them to the waiting room. As they walked, Marth read the signs and remarked, "I gotta say, the Japanese translation is pretty good. The main website was English only."

"That's because Zaskar, the company that owns GGO, is American," Sinon answered. "They do have Japanese staff to run Japan's server, so that's why. Do you guys know that GGO is a legal gray zone?"

Kirito nodded in confirmation. "Because of its cash conversion system," he replied.

"You won't find anything besides basic information on the website," Sinon said. "Any transactions can only be done inside the game. It's like GGO operates separately from the real world." Her eyes darkened. "That must be why the person I am in the real world and in the game are so different." Marth and Kirito gave the sniper confused looks as they entered the elevator, with Sinon shaking her head to clear it. "Sorry. I got a little carried away." She pressed the waiting room button and the elevator started to descend.

When the elevator doors opened, the trio got out and saw a bunch of shady looking players with their guns out. Marth nervously looked at all the competitors. _"Death Gun could be anywhere. If only I knew what he looked like,"_ Marth thought before Sinon tapped his shoulder.

"You okay, Marth?" the sniper asked concerned.

Marth slowly nodded and said, "Yeah. I'm just a little nervous."

"We'll need to go in a changing room," Sinon told the swordsmen. "You're going to need some privacy while you're changing into your combat outfits."

"Uh, right," Kirito replied as they went into a separate room.

As soon as the door closed, Sinon sat down on a chair. "Those idiots," she said. "They think showing off their weapons will get them anywhere. They're just asking people to come up with a counter-measure. Piece of advice, don't equip your photon swords until before your first fight."

The SAO Survivors nodded before Sinon selected a button to remove her outfit so she could change. The boys quickly looked away and were forced to reveal their true gender. After a while, they all exited the changing room. Sinon looked disgusted and was in her combat suit.

Both Kirito and Marth had a red hand mark on their right and left cheeks where Sinon slapped them respectively. Kirito wore a black overcoat with a metal breast plate and silver trimming, black pants and boots, and fingerless gloves and belt of the same color. Marth's outfit was the same as Kirito's only the colors were inverted.

"Stop following me," Sinon said angrily.

"But Marth and I don't know what we're supposed to do after this," Kirito replied in a desperate tone.

"Stop following me!" Sinon repeated.

"B-but we don't know anyone else here," Marth said nervously.

"I said stop following me!" the sniper said once more.

"But, but…" the Darkness Duo started.

Sinon then stopped walking and sighed in defeat before leading the duo into a booth. The sniper sat on one side while Marth and Kirito sat on the other. There was an awkward silence as the timer on the jumbotrons were reading 10 minutes left.

"I'll explain it, but just the bare minimum," Sinon said finally. "After that, we're enemies."

Both boys sighed in relief. "Thanks," Marth replied.

"Just so we're clear, this doesn't mean I forgive you," Sinon added before glancing at the jumbotrons. "See that clock on the screens? When it hits zero, every contestant will be transported to a battlefield with their first-round opponent. The field's a square, 1 kilometer long on all sides. The weather, time, and terrain are all randomized. Your opponent is placed 500 meters away from you, and whoever wins the match will be transferred back here while the loser is sent back to the first-floor hall. And you don't get penalized if you lose a match.

"There are 64 people in each Block," Sinon continued. "If you win five matches, you make it to the preliminary finals and you'll be eligible for the main tournament. That's it. No more questions. I'm done helping you two."

Kirito nodded in understanding. "I think we got a basic understanding of everything. Thanks a lot for your help."

Sinon just rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She turned towards the other competitors. "This time I'll kill all the strong players." Marth and Kirito noticed the sniper sneering as she said the last part.

"Sinon, there you are," said a relieved voice. The group turned and saw a male player with silver hair and eyes standing before the booth.

"Spiegel?" Sinon said as she moved over so her friend to sit next to her. "I thought you weren't going to enter the tournament. Did you change your mind?"

Spiegel shook his head. "No. I thought I'd cheer you on from the sidelines," he replied. "I've got a spot near the jumbo Tran and everything. What took you so long to get here? I almost thought you were gonna miss registration."

"Sorry about that. I had to give these two a sort of orientation," Sinon said, glaring at the feminine looking boys.

"Oh. Are you girls' friends with Sinon?" Spiegel asked nervously.

"Hate to break it to you, but they're dudes," Sinon said in an annoyed tone.

Spiegel nearly fell out of his seat as Kirito said in his regular voice, "Yeah. I'm Kirito and my silver-haired friend here is Marth. We're both guys."

Spiegel had a panicked look on his face. "Does that mean one of you is Sinon's…" he started to say.

Marth shook his head and smiled. "Nope. By the way, thanks for everything, Sinon. I had fun during our date," he said teasingly, using the same tone as his partner.

Sinon's eyes filled with rage, while Spiegel looked like he was having a heart attack. "That was so not a date! Now forget it ever happened!" Sinon retorted angrily.

"But we spent the whole day getting me and Kirito's gear together," Marth said innocently.

"Only because you…" Sinon started.

Suddenly the timer reached zero, prompting the system to announce, "Thank you for your patience. We will now begin the third Bullet of Bullets Preliminary Tournament. When the countdown reaches zero, all participants will be sent to their designated first round field-maps. Good luck to you all."

Many of the players cheered in excitement and fired their guns.

Sinon then sat up and pointed a finger at Kirito. "You better make it to the finals, Kirito, because I'm looking forward to blowing your head off," she told the black-haired swordsman.

Kirito got up and smirked. "Alright, but don't keep me waiting for too long," the Black Swordsman said before he and Marth left the booth. They turned around and saw an angry Sinon, and Spiegel, glaring at them.

"I think you took it a little too far, pal," Marth whispered to his partner.

"Yeah. That sounded better in my head," Kirito replied. "Anyway, good luck out there."

"You too," Marth said before he and the other competitors were all teleported to the preparation area.

Marth was alone in a dark room. He looked up and saw a notice with a timer counting down from one minute. He then opened up his menu and equipped his photon sword and his handgun, which appeared on the right and left side of his belt respectfully.

With his equipment ready to go, Marth turned his thoughts to Sinon. _"Could she be Death Gun?"_ he asked himself. _"I saw two sides of her today, but which one is the real Sinon? I'll have to make my way to the main tournament to find out."_

The timer then hit zero and Marth found himself teleported to some ancient ruins in a forest. He looked around before hiding behind a stone pillar. Suddenly, Bullet Lines appeared in his vision and a man aiming his gun at him. The player quickly started firing a barrage of bullets at the Dark Swordsman, prompting Marth to jump on top of the pillar, but was hit in the sides of his arms in the process.

"I can't dodge all of those bullets," he said before getting behind the opposite side of the pillar. He looked behind to find an opening, but quickly hid again as another barrage of bullets fired at the pillar.

"Drat. At this rate I'll never get closer to him." He looked at his photon sword, which was still fastened to his belt. "Maybe I can use my sword to deflect the bullets. But they're flying too fast for me to try."

Marth then remembered the Untouchable game. "No, I can do this. The Bullet Lines tell me exactly where each bullet is going."

He drew his weapons and looked behind the pillar but didn't see his opponent anywhere. " _Trying to sneak up on me aren't you,"_ Marth thought. " _We'll see about that."_

Marth closed his eyes and blocked out all unnecessary sound effects and any visual information from his mind. Soon he heard the sound of grass rustling towards his right and knew it was his opponent. "Now!" he said before opening his eyes and charging at the player, activating his photon sword in the process.

The player, although shocked, quickly stood up and started firing bullets at Marth. Marth saw several red lines heading towards him, showing that the bullets would hit his arms, thighs, and finally his forehead. As soon as the bullets were close to him, Marth began deflecting them with his photon sword, while also performing a few acrobatic moves in the process.

"What the?" the player said in shock as he quickly tried to reload his gun.

"I don't think so!" Marth exclaimed as he fired his own gun at the player while running, stopping him from switching mags.

Marth then brought his sword to his side before doing an imitation of «Vorpal Strike», which had him stabbing the target in the chest. The silver-haired swordsman watched as the player's HP slowly hit zero before the player shattered into red polygons. Marth tried to sheath his sword on his back but quickly realized his mistake and deactivated it. He then put it and his gun back on his belt as a victory notice appeared before him.

"I can't believe I have to do this four more times," Marth said he was teleported to the waiting room.

Kirito then appeared beside the Dark Swordsman. "I'm glad to see that you won your match too," Kirito told his partner.

"Ditto," Marth replied before noticing Spiegel watching the matches. "I wonder which video is showing Sinon's match."

Suddenly a distorted voice asked, "Are you two the real deal?"

The duo instinctively jumped away in shock and saw the source came from a man in a black poncho and a silver mantle that resembled a human skull covering his face. The mask also made the player's eyes glow red and his arms were wrapped in bandages.

"The real deal?" Kirito questioned in his normal tone. "What do you mean by that?"

"I saw both of your matches," the man said as he approached them. "You each defeated them with a sword."

"So? It's not against the rules to do so," Kirito said nervously as he gripped his photon sword, which was still attached to his belt. Marth was doing the same with his.

The man opened his menu and showed the duo the tournament roster. He subsequently zoomed in on Marth and Kirito's names. "That was a Vorpal Strike you both used," he said. "With those names and your sword skills, are you two the _real deal_?"

_"Wait a minute. Does he know us?"_ Marth thought inquisitively.

The man pointed accusingly at the duo and said, "You're either fakes using their names or the real ones. So which is it?"

_"If he knows me and Kirito, then we should know him as well. But where?"_ Marth's eyes widened in realization. _"That's it,"_ he said in his head. _"He's an SAO Survivor like me and Kirito. But if he knows us, then I should know him."_ Marth briefly looked at the Black Swordsman and saw that he came to the same conclusion.

The silver-haired lightswordsman changed his focus to the man in the cloak. The man lowered his hand and brought the front of his wrist into view. Both Marth and Kirito's eyes filled with fear as they saw an all too familiar tattoo located there; a black coffin with a sadistic face on it.

_"No! It can't be?!"_ Marth thought in fear. _"Not that!"_


	6. Memories of the Past

"I've waited long enough," the man told the duo. "Are you two the real deal or not? Or don't you understand the question?"

Marth gritted his teeth and said, "What do you mean by 'real deal'? Who are you comparing us to?"

The man paused before answering, "Never mind. Whether you're fakes using _their_ names, or the real ones, someday, I'll kill both of you." He then closed his menu before walking away.

Marth and Kirito promptly walked over to a booth and sat down. They were both holding their heads in shock.

"That guy had the symbol of Laughing Coffin, the murder guild from SAO," Kirito said grimly.

"I know," Marth replied in the same tone. "But how can that be?"

An old memory surfaced from the minds of both players. One that they had tried desperately to forget.

**Flashback- July 26, 2024**

Marth was marching with a raiding group made from members of the Assault Team. He was beside Kirito and Yuuki and could see Asuna and Klein with their respective guilds. They weren't going on a boss raid, however. This was a crusade group that was formed to bring all the members of Laughing Coffin to prison. The murder guild had killed hundreds of players and refused to stop no matter how much the Assault Team pleaded so they had decided to use force to stop the murder guild.

"This is going to be the hardest fight we've ever encountered," Marth said to his best friend.

Kirito nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Even though boss monsters are extremely powerful, they're limited by their AI and programming," the Black Swordsman replied. "But players don't have that restriction. They aren't as predictable as monsters due to it being easy for them to change their fighting styles mid-battle."

Yuuki patted her fellow solo players on the back. "Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "Thanks to the info Marth collected, we've got Laughing Coffin cornered. After today, they won't be killing anyone else."

Marth let out a heavy sigh. "I wish I had your optimism, Yuuki," the Dark Swordsman replied.

The group came to halt on a platform. The leader of the crusade turned to address everyone. "Listen up, If the info we got from Marth is legit then we should be near Laughing Coffin's base," he explained. "Remember, these people are Red Players. They won't think twice about striking down any one of us, so don't any of you hesitate. We are stronger than them gameplay wise, so who knows, maybe they'll surrender peacefully." He chuckled at the thought. "Hell, a guy can dream, can't he?"

The rest of the crusade laughed at the comment before Marth and Kirito sensed a cold sensation on the backs of their necks, a danger signal. They looked around and saw Laughing Coffin members had the crusaders surrounded. Everyone quickly drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

"Damn it," the crusade leader said. "Someone must have leaked our plan to these bastards."

"Marth! Yuuki!" Kirito exclaimed. "Be careful!"

"Will do!" Marth replied.

"Don't worry!" the Absolute Sword added. "These guys can't take me down!"

Marth and Kirito worked in tandem to fend off the Laughing Coffin members while Yuuki went to support Asuna, who was fighting two Red Players at once. However, the fight quickly escalated to a living hell as Marth soon found himself separated from his partner.

"Damn it," Marth cursed under his breath before parrying a Red Player's sword with Lunara. The Dark Swordsman's eyes filled with disgust as he saw the player sneer.

The two swordsmen clashed multiple times before Marth activated Horizontal Square, greatly reducing the PKer's HP before knocking him out by hitting his head with the flat of his blade.

Marth then noticed that the crusade members were starting to regroup. _"That's good,"_ he thought to himself. _"At this rate, we'll win…"_

Out of the corner of his eye, the Dark Swordsman saw three crusade members surrounding a Red Player, who's HP was nearly gone. "Surrender now and we'll let you live," one of the crusaders demanded. "You can't take another hit."

The Laughing Coffin member instead sneered sadistically before attacking two of the crusaders, killing them. The third one fell down in fear and begged for mercy but was killed as well. Marth sensed danger and quickly blocked an attack from another Red Player with his sword.

The Beater's eyes flared with anger as he saw that the Red Player had a sadistic smile on his face as well. Marth then kicked the player away before hearing a sword grinding against the ground towards him. He turned and saw the same Red Player who had killed the three crusade members charging straight for him.

The PKer performed a downward strike with his sword, aiming directly at the Dark Swordsman's head, but Marth quickly blocked it with Lunara. The same sadistic look was on the murderer's face, causing Marth to be consumed with rage. He let out a battle cry as he pushed his opponent's sword away before striking down the Laughing Coffin fighter on the neck, killing him. Any other member that dared to take him on met the same fate.

It turned into a blood-soaked nightmare after that. At the end of the fight, Marth was finally able to regain himself and saw weapons scattered throughout the battlefield. It took him a few minutes for him to meet back up with Kirito and Yuuki, who were just as shaken as him. Though the Assault Team had won the battle, they had lost nine players. Laughing Coffin lost twenty-one players because they refused to surrender, the rest however, were tied up and sent to prison. Out of the twenty-one dead Red Players, five lives were taken, by Marth's blade. Kirito, on the other hand, had killed another four with his own sword.

**Present**

Both Kirito and Marth were close to having a panic attack. "You don't think that guy could be one of the players we killed, do you?" Kirito suggested before shaking his head. "No, that's impossible. Kayaba and Brandon said it themselves that even the virtual world doesn't stop true death."

"Then he must be one of the Laughing Coffin members that we sent to prison that day," Marth said before realizing. "Wait a minute. That guy's voice was the same as the one from the recording of Death Gun."

Kirito nodded in agreement. "So Death Gun is a former member of Laughing Coffin," the Black Swordsman replied. "But what was his name from SAO? If he was one of the Red Players we took to prison that day, then he must've talked to us at some point after the battle, but I can't remember his name at all."

"Me neither," Marth admitted before feeling someone tapping his shoulder. He and Kirito saw that it was none other than Sinon.

"I gotta admit, you two did pretty well for your first match," Sinon said, not noticing the fearful look in the swordsmen's eyes. "It'll only get harder from here on out." She turned to leave but was stopped when Marth grabbed her hand.

"What's your problem?" she asked bitterly before seeing that both swordsmen were very shaken up, which reminded the sniper of herself.

"Hey, are you two alright?" she asked in genuine concern. "What's wrong?"

Before either of them could respond, Kirito and Marth were teleported away for their next match. Sinon watched silently as the two spawned on their respective maps standing up. They weren't moving so both their opponents took advantage of it and fired at them, nicking their cheeks. It snapped the duo out of their shock and regained their focus. They both activated their photon swords and charged towards their opponents with a fury.

"I can't believe those two are actually winning," Spiegel said, who was standing next to the female sniper. He turned to face his friend. "They won't be the only ones moving up though. Good luck out there."

Sinon smiled before she was teleported to her next match. After a while, Marth was in the semi-finals. He charged through barrages of bullets, deflecting a majority of them with his sword, while also firing back at his opponent with his handgun. He quickly defeated his opponent and was teleported to the preparation room.

_"I can't afford to get distracted by the past,"_ Marth thought as the timer counted down. _"I have to stop Death Gun before he kills more people. But how does he do it? There's no way you can kill someone in the real world from the virtual one anymore."_

He was forced to abandon his thoughts when he was teleported to a ruined city. Almost immediately, multiple barrages of bullets came at him. Marth quickly took cover behind a car.

"This'll be tough," Marth said to himself as he watched. "Those are way too many bullets for me to deflect. I'll need to think carefully before trying to close the distance between him and me." The swordsman started to smell burning gas and realized that the car he was hiding behind was about to explode.

Marth quickly ran away with a trail of bullets right behind him before the car blew up. He then hid inside an alleyway and the gunfire stopped.

_"Guess he doesn't want to waste the extra rounds shooting at nothing,"_ Marth thought. _"No doubt he'll try to find a way to flush me out though. What should I do?"_ His thoughts were interrupted when he saw multiple grenades fell into the alley. "Oh crap!" was all Marth could say before the grenades exploded.

The people who were watching the match cheered as dust and smoke covered the alley Marth was in. However, when the dust cleared, the spectators gasped in shock as a silver hexagonal barrier had appeared in front of the Dark Swordsman, shielding him from harm before disappearing.

"What in the?" Marth said in confusion. "What just happened?" He took a moment to collect himself and added, "I can't worry about that now. I've got to finish this before this guy tries that again."

Marth then ran out of the alley and charged straight for his opponent, Reyn. Reyn immediately fire multiple barrages of bullets from at his opponent with his gattling gun (sorry, I don't know what its actually called, feel free to correct me and I'll fix it). The Dark Swordsman responded by quickly activating his photon sword and deflected a majority of the bullets but got hit by the rest, though none of them could hit his head or heart.

"What the?" Reyn said in shock.

As soon as he was close enough, Marth swung his sword at Reyn, forcing him away from his machine gun.

"I won't lose to some girl with a flashy sword!" Reyn exclaimed before pulling out a sub-machine gun and opened fire on the lightswordsman.

Marth easily deflected all the bullets and didn't even bother correcting Reyn about his gender as he landed the final blow.

"That was a tough one," Marth said to himself before putting his weapons away. He then stared at his right hand. "What the heck did I do back there? It's almost like I created a barrier to protect myself, but that doesn't make any sense. I couldn't do that before. Just what am I?"

Meanwhile Sinon was preparing for her fight with Kirito. The sniper spawned in on a bridge in a ruined city. It was sunset, making the shadows around her much larger. Sinon hurried to a nearby bus and went to its second floor where she set up her Hecate.

_"He's going to try to close in on me by using the shadows for cover,"_ Sinon told herself. _"My only chance is to nail him with my first shot before he figures out my location. He won't even know what hit him."_

Sinon was surprised by her drive to beat Kirito. _"What's with me?"_ she asked herself. _"Why do I want to beat him so badly?"_ Sinon then remembered the state she found him and Marth in after the first round. _"Is it because he reminds me of me?"_

The sniper shook her head to clear it. Suddenly she saw Kirito slowly walking over to her, out in the open.

_"Does he think he can dodge_ my _bullet at this range?"_ Sinon asked herself and prepared to pull Hecate's trigger. However, seeing Kirito walking towards her like that was making her angry. _"Does he even want to?!"_

Due to her anger and increased heart rate, Sinon's Bullet Circle kept expanding at a rapid rate. "Don't," she said slowly before shouting, "Don't mess with me!"

Sinon immediately opened fire, destroying the bus window in the process. However, her bullet sailed passed Kirito and struck a car behind him, causing it to explode. Sinon fired again five more times, but none of her bullets could hit their mark. The sniper gritted her teeth in anger as Kirito just stood there, unfazed, prompting her to hurry out of the bus and run to the Black Swordsman.

"Fight me!" Sinon demanded as she aimed her Hecate at him. "C'mon! Or do you think I'm not worth the effort?!"

"You've got it all wrong," Kirito said blankly. "There's no reason for us to fight, Sinon. All I'm focused on is making it to the finals."

"Then go on and shoot yourself!" Sinon exclaimed in anger. "Or would that be a waste of ammo? Or did you think letting me shoot you would even the score between us?" Sinon looked ready to burst into tears. "It's just a stupid match, is that it? Well just because you think that, doesn't mean I do!"

Kirito's eyes widened in surprise as he recalled their conversation in the lobby. _"That sounds awfully familiar to me back in SAO,"_ he thought. _"And I did promise Sinon on giving her a good fight."_

"Sorry, Sinon," Kirito said finally. "Sure it's just a game. Just one match. But that's precisely why we have to give it all we got. It's how we live, how we survive in this world. If anyone should've known that, it should be me."

The Black Swordsman paused for a moment and looked the sniper in the eye. "I broke my promise to you. Give me another chance to give you the fight I promised."

Sinon glared at the photon sword-user and said, "You better not be messing with me."

Kirito then reached for his handgun, prompting Sinon to aim her sniper rifle at him, but he gave her a signal to wait. Kirito promptly removed one bullet from his gun and held it in his right hand before putting his FN Five-Seven.

"Do you have any extra rounds or are you out?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've got one bullet left," Sinon replied.

"Okay, so let's have a duel," Kirito explained. "We'll stand ten meters apart. It'll be you and your rifle against me and my sword. I'll toss this bullet in the air and once it hits the ground, we start. The first to land a blow on the opponent wins. That okay with you?"

"Hang on," Sinon said. "If we're ten meters apart, you won't be able to see the Bullet Line in time to react, and a shot from my Hecate will definitely hit you. At that range I can't miss."

Kirito simply smirked. "You won't know until you try."

Sinon eyed the Black Swordsman in suspicion. _"Why's he acting so confident? Does he have a plan? Whatever it is, I'm ready for it."_

She gave Kirito a nod and said, "Okay. If that's how you want it, fine."

Kirito then moved into position, prompting both players to get ready. He tossed the bullet into the air and activated his photon sword, while Sinon aimed her rifle at him.

_"I knew it,"_ Sinon said to herself. _"He_ does _have a plan."_ She then looked at Kirito's right leg through her scope.

As soon as the bullet touched the ground, Sinon immediately shot at Kirito's leg, but the Black Swordsman cut it in half, causing the two halves to fly past him.

_"No way!"_ Sinon said in shock. _"That's impossible!"_

Sinon tried to reach for her pistol, but Kirito stopped her by rushing at her, holding her close while holding his sword to her neck.

"You knew where I was aiming," Sinon said aloud. "How did you know I was going for your leg?"

"I could where you were aiming through the lens of your scope," Kirito answered.

_"That's how he predicted my bullet?"_ Sinon thought. _"That's amazing. That power is way beyond any VR game."_

"If you're so strong, why'd you look so afraid back there?" Sinon asked curiously.

"You're wrong," Kirito replied. "It's not strength. It's just a skill."

"No, that's a lie," Sinon said desperately. "Technique isn't enough to cut my Hecate's bullet in half. It takes strength to do that and all I want to know is how to get it. It's what… I'm here for…"

"Listen," Kirito said suddenly. "If you could shoot a person here, knowing that killing them would also kill them in the real world, would you? And what if you had to shoot that person because if you don't then either you or someone you cared about would die? If you had that power, would you still pull the trigger?"

Sinon gasped in surprise. _"Does he know?"_ she thought. _"About my past? About the incident? No, maybe the same thing happened to him and Marth."_

Kirito then deactivated his sword and put it back on his belt. "I can't go through that again. That's why I'm not as strong as you think I am. I don't even remember the names of four…no five people I killed in that other game."

"Marth and I both have to live with it," Kirito continued. "We have to go through it every single day, hoping we'd forget it."

Sinon's eyes filled with shock as she dropped her pistol. She raised her hand to Kirito's face to comfort him, but he shook his head.

"I'm fine," Kirito answered. "Anyway, I guess I won the duel."

The blue-haired sniper then remembered what they were doing and stuttered out, "Oh… uh… yeah."

"Would you mind surrendering then?" Kirito asked politely. "I don't like slashing at girls."

Sinon then realized the position she was in and separated from Kirito in embarrassment. "Next time, I won't lose!" she declared. "See you in the finals! Make sure you survive until you face me!"

The sniper then accessed the system to resign from the match, shocking the spectators. Even Marth, who was watching the match, was taken aback, though only slightly.

_"I wonder what happened back there,"_ the Dark Swordsman asked himself with his arms folded. He then noticed Spiegel staring at him before walking off.

Marth then noticed Kirito spawn back and went over to him.

"Congrats on your win," Marth said. "What happened back there? I couldn't make out what you and Sinon were talking about."

"I asked her if she had the power to kill someone from the virtual world, would she do it," Kirito explained. "Especially if she had to kill that person, otherwise she or a person she loved would die."

"What was her answer?"

"She didn't exactly reply, but judging from her expression, it was almost like she understood what I meant. It makes me wonder what Sinon's been through."

"Well we can't exactly ask her about it," Marth replied. "Whatever it was, it might be too personal for her to talk about."

Kirito nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Anyway, how'd your match go?"

Marth cracked a grin. "Oh, I won! But something strange happened during my match?"

"What was it?"

"Well, my opponent tossed a grenade into the alley I was hiding in, but when it went off, a strange silver barrier shielded me from the blast before disappearing."

Kirito held his chin. "You're right. That is strange. Come to think of it, there are a lot of strange things about you. You've got a rapid healing ability in real life, not to mention what happened in ALO with those auras and how you overrode Sugou's system."

Marth stared at his right palm. "I know. Just what am I?"

Kirito placed his hand on his partner's shoulder in reassurance. "I don't know, Marth, but I promise we'll figure it out together," he replied. "You've always been there for me, just as I'll always be there for you. We're more than friends, we're brothers."

The Dark Swordsman cracked a light smile. "Thanks, Kirito."

Kirito returned the gesture. "Anytime."

An announcement came on saying that all players who reached the preliminary finals that the main tournament will be hosted at 6:00 PM tomorrow. Since it was very late, the duo decided to log off. Frank opened his eyes back in the real world and was greeted by Serena.

"How'd it go in there?" she asked curiously.

"Kirito and I made it all the way to the finals of the preliminary tournament," Frank replied as he removed the Amusphere and disconnected himself from the heart monitor. "We're able to compete in the main Bullet of Bullets."

Serena cracked a light smile. "That's good. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," she said.

Frank said goodbye to the nurse and put on his shirt and jacket. He left the room and found Kazuto already in the hall, although he looked very uncomfortable.

"You okay?" Frank asked concerned.

"I just have a nurse who has a very strange sense of humor," Kazuto responded. "Let's get out of here."

They then left the hospital and headed for home. On the way back, Frank's thoughts were haunted by memories of Laughing Coffin. _"Will I ever be able to find peace for what I did?"_ he thought as he drove.


	7. Calm Before The Storm

**The Next Day**

Frank laid on his bed breathing hard and covered in sweat. His dreams were plagued by all the members of Laughing Coffin he killed, who were calling him a murderer. He woke with a start before slowly getting out of bed and changed out of his pajamas before going downstairs. Both his parents were away at work and it wasn't a school day. Meg was sitting at the table eating breakfast. Frank joined her after he made his food.

"So, how are you and Kazuto liking Gun Gale Online?" Meg asked curiously.

"It's all right. It does take a little getting used to though," Frank answered honestly.

"Is that why you and Kazuto joined the biggest tournament in GGO?" Meg said jokingly. "So you guys can 'adjust' to the changes."

Frank looked at his sister in surprise. "How'd you know that I was participating in BoB?" he asked.

The Sylph player smirked as she showed her brother her tablet, which showed the roster of the BoB contestants. His avatar's name was highlighted.

"I know you can be reckless at times, but this takes it to a whole new level," Meg said. "So how much longer are you and Kazuto going to be playing GGO?"

"Today's the last day," Frank replied. "After the tournament is over, we'll convert back over to ALO."

Frank then lowered his head in silence. _"Death Gun,"_ he thought to himself. _"I know he has to be a SAO Survivor. He and I must have crossed swords, trying to kill each other."_

Meg noticed how quiet her brother had become, prompting her to say, "Frank, are you okay?"

Frank snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. "Yeah. I just have a lot on my mind, is all."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The SAO Survivor let out a light grunt. "I'll tell you tomorrow." Frank stood up and was about to head upstairs when Meg grabbed his right shoulder, stopping him.

"I don't know what's going on with you and Kazuto, but promise me you'll be careful," Meg said. "I nearly lost you because of one VRMMO. I don't want to go through the same thing again."

Frank turned around and gave his sister a hug, who slowly reciprocated. "Don't worry," he promised. "I'll be careful. I swear that I'll never put you through that again."

As the siblings embraced, Frank recalled the call he got from Yuuki last night.

**Last Night**

"Hey Marth!" Yuuki greeted with her usual grin. "I hope I'm not calling you too late."

Frank let out a light chuckle as he sat on his bed. "It's okay," Frank replied. "Besides, I…" He paused. "Nah, never mind."

Yuuki groaned in frustration. "Honestly, Marth," she huffed. "You started to say something, then you stopped. Tell me what you were going to say!"

The Dark Swordsman sighed in defeat as he lied down. "Fine. I guess… I wanted to hear your voice, Yuuki."

The Absolute Sword smiled in victory. "There," she said. "Was that so hard? So what's bugging you? You seem depressed about something."

Frank forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Does it have anything to do with you and Kirito converting over to GGO?"

Frank's eyes widened in surprise. He'd forgotten how inquisitive his girlfriend could be when she wanted to be. "No, it's not that," Frank lied. "It's just…"

"Do you need me and Asuna to convert over to help you two out?" Yuuki added. "Just say the word and I'll do it in a heartbeat."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass," Frank answered as he sat up. "If you and Asuna converted over, Yui would get lonely."

Yuuki groaned in annoyance. "You just _had_ to play the Yui card, didn't you?" she argued. "You know that's a lie. Yui's got Thorrnn, Leafa, and our other friends to keep her company. Are you sure you're okay?"

Frank nodded. "Yeah. I'll be back before you know it."

"Okay," Yuuki said slowly. "If you need me, let me know and I'll rush over to GGO."

"Okay. Good night, Yuuki."

"Good night, Marth." Yuuki then hung up.

Frank felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for not telling Yuuki the truth then and there. _"I can't involve Yuuki and the others in this,"_ he thought to himself. _"That man is sure to show up in the BoB finals. Kirito and I have to end this, alone. This is our problem, not theirs."_

**Present Day**

"Right when you and Kazuto left for your side job, I called Yuuki and asked for her opinion," Meg explained. "She said not to worry since you and Kazuto were the strongest players she knew, and that once you were finished with GGO, you'd come back. She may not have said it, but I'm sure she's worried about you. I am too. When you came home last night, you looked so afraid."

"I did?" Frank asked slowly. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"I hope you didn't involve yourself in anything dangerous," Meg continued, almost fearfully. "I know you're strong and that you can take care of yourself, but I don't want to lose you again, like we lost Mom and Dad."

Frank rubbed the back of his sister's head in a soothing manner. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"Okay. I'll hold you to that."

**Meanwhile**

Shino was venting her anger by hitting a pole with her foot. Kyouji just watched in confusion as he sat on a swing.

"Those idiots," Shino ranted. "Those guys make me so pissed." She then sat on the swing next to Kyouji.

"Take it easy, Shino," Kyouji said soothingly. "I know you're upset but… it's weird to see you this worked up."

"Well, why not?" Shino retorted. "You saw them. They're obnoxious, cocky, and are dirty liars. I mean, do they really have to fight with a sword in GGO of all places?" She began swinging back and forth. "Those guys tricked me into thinking they were girls and had me take them to the gun market. I even helped pick out their gear! Oh man!" She then stopped moving. "They really tick me off!"

Shino then noticed her friend's stunned expression. "What's wrong, Kyouji?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said slowly. "But it's just… you're acting kind of strange. I don't think you've ever talked this much about someone, let alone two people."

Shino was taken aback by the news. "You're kidding? Really?" she replied.

Kyouji nodded. "Yeah. I mean, you don't normally let people get to you like this."

"I get like this when people push my buttons."

"Yeah, I guess you do," Kyouji agreed. "I know, why don't we ambush them in a field? I can lure them in, and you can snipe them. But if it's for revenge, I guess you should face them head-on. I can even find two or three skilled machine-gunners to back you up."

Shino shook her head. "Thank you, but no," she kindly rejected. "I have something else in mind. Besides, something tells me that Kirito and Marth are a very skilled team, so an ambush probably wouldn't work. Sure they piss me off, but they seem honest in the way they fight."

"Come to think of it, aren't those the same names of the people who cleared SAO?" Kyouji questioned.

Shino shrugged. "Yeah. Who knows if its actually them or not? If it really is them, then I have to beat them fair and square. In today's final, I'll blow a hole into those dumb avatars of theirs if it's the last thing I do." She then recalled her fight with Kirito, prompting her to stand up in anger and make a finger gun. "Just you wait! I swear I'll make you both pay _double_ for what you did to me!"

Kyouji smiled and stood up before approaching the sniper player, much to the latter's confusion.

"Wh-what? What's wrong?" Shino questioned.

"Nothing," Kyouji replied. "It's just that… do you see what you're doing?"

Shino looked at her hand before returning it to normal. "I didn't even notice," she admitted. "Must have been because I was so mad that it didn't bother me at all."

"I see," Kyouji said before taking Shino's hands, much to her surprise.

"W-what are you doing?" Shino asked nervously.

"I'm worried about you," he explained. "You're not acting like yourself today."

Shino couldn't make eye contact with her fellow GGO player. "I-I don't know what you mean. How do I usually act?"

Kyouji gave Shino's hands a light squeeze. "As long as I've known you, you've always been cold, calm and level-headed. Nothing gets to you. You've got the same problems at school like me, but you didn't run away like I did. You're strong… really strong."

"But… I'm not strong at all," Shino denied. "You know that. The moment I see a gun, I freak out."

"But Sinon doesn't," Kyouji replied. "She's got that amazing rifle and knows how to use it. If you ask me, that's who you really are, Shino. And I know that one day, you'll be like that in real life, too. That's why, when you go ballistic over those guys, it worries me. When I see you like that, I want to help you."

Shino watched as a mother and daughter walked on the sidewalk. _"I remember when I used to be normal,"_ she thought. _"I laughed and cried just like anyone else. I didn't become who I am because I wanted to."_

Kyouji then wrapped her into a hug, prompting her to push him away out of surprise.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I appreciate you wanting to help me, especially since you're the only one in the city who understands me. But I… can't get into that kind of thing right now. Besides, I really can't fix my problems unless I do them on my own."

Kyouji lowered his head. "I see."

"Until then, do you think you can wait for me?"

Kyouji slowly nodded.

"Thank you."

**Later**

When it got around 5:00, Frank and Kazuto went back to the hospital to dive into GGO again.

"Have you had any luck remembering the name of Death Gun's avatar from SAO?" Frank asked hopefully.

Kazuto shook his head. "Nope, and I doubt you did either," he replied. "If only we could remember it, then we could find out Death Gun's real name and address so we can stop him here in the real world."

Frank shrugged. "I'm sure it'll come to us eventually. He had to have told us his name at some point," he said. "I just wish we had a lead on how he's supposedly killing people in the real world from the virtual one."

When they arrived at the hospital, they went to their appointed rooms, where Frank was greeted by Serena.

"About time you showed up," she said teasingly before noticing a sad look in Frank's eyes. Her expression grew grim. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Frank tried to pass off.

"Liar. I've been a counselor for traumatized patients for four years, plus I've got a daughter who had to deal with being trapped in a death game. I can tell that something's bothering you, so spill it," the nurse said before sitting down on the bed.

Frank reluctantly joined her and said, "I've got a personal question for you. Out of all the patients you cared for, how many do you know that died?"

"Let's see," Serena said. "If I really try, I can remember both their faces and names. Even patients I spent only an hour with or so in the OR."

"Do you ever wish you could forget about them?"

"Hmm, that's a tough one." The nurse looked out the window. "I'm not sure if this is an answer, but it's the best I got. I think that if something's meant to be forgotten, a person will end up forgetting it. Without even thinking they want to… because the more you wish to forget something, the stronger the memory becomes, until they can't stop thinking about it. And if that's the case, then maybe subconsciously, the memory in question is something you shouldn't forget."

Frank lowered his head in shame. "If that's true, then I must be a monster," he said slowly.

Serena eyed the GGO player in concern. "What do you mean?"

"When I was in SAO, I killed five players," Frank explained in remorse, shocking the nurse. "They were all Red Players, murderers, but I did have the option of just overpowering them without killing them. But I went ahead and killed them anyway." Frank's face became distraught. "I did it out of rage, hate, vengeance… I just killed them. And over the past year, I've totally forgotten all about those people. Even as I sit here talking about it, I can't remember what any of them look like or even their names. How's that possible? If I can forget people I killed, what does that say about me as a person? How can I be considered a hero when I've got blood on my hands?!"

Serena put her arm over the teen's shoulder and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry you're having this problem, Frank," she replied. "I can't help you with this burden of yours, but you did fight to protect people. You wouldn't be suffering this much if you forgot about it. The only advice I have for you is to remember why you killed those players in the first place. You need to find a way to get closure for your actions."

"Closure for my actions," Frank muttered to himself. "Okay, I'll try."

The nurse smiled. "That's all I can ask for."

Frank then repeated what he did yesterday and logged onto GGO.

**Meanwhile**

Shino was laying on her bed in her apartment. She was thinking about Kyouji's hug from earlier before lightly slapping her cheeks to clear her head.

"All right," she said before putting on her Amusphere and laying on her bed. "I'm going to fight hard, and then I'll beat both Kirito and Marth. Link start." And with that, Shino dived into Gun Gale Online.

**Meanwhile in ALO**

Klein, Leafa, Thorrnn, Yuuki, Asuna, Silica, Lisbeth and Celina were fighting a giant purple lizard and barely managed to avoid its tail attack. Klein, on the other hand, managed to grab its tail to stop it.

"Are you okay, Klein?" Silica asked in concern.

The samurai let out a light chuckle. "Alright guys, attack him from the side while I got him."

"He's being weird again," Lisbeth commented.

"Tell me about it," Leafa added.

"Hang in there, Klein!" Yui exclaimed.

"Piece of cake!" the Salamander gloated. "I don't even need Marth and Kirito here!" Suddenly the monster looked straight at him in a not-too-pleased way before releasing a poisonous cloud from its mouth, surrounding it and the samurai. "Me and my big mouth!"

"Everyone back!" Thorrnn commanded as the girls flew out of range, except Asuna, who was on the ground, but was already out of the gas's range. Yuuki, on the other hand, was hovering in a daze, similar to the Undine.

"Klein! You okay?" Silica shouted.

"No, I'm not!" Klein shouted as his HP started depleting. "Asuna!"

The Lightning Flash was too lost in thought to hear the samurai.

"Uh, Asuna!" Klein cried out desperately as his HP hit the yellow zone. "I need a hand here!" The Undine still wouldn't respond. "Hey! Asuna!"

Asuna finally snapped out of her thoughts and saw that Klein was near death and quickly chanted a healing spell on the Salamander, fully restoring his HP. Leafa, Thorrnn, Silica, Lisbeth, and Celina then attacked the monster with their weapons, leaving it near death.

"Now Yuuki!" Celina called out. "Finish it off!"

The Imp, however, didn't seem to her the brown-haired blacksmith and simply hovered.

"Yuuki, snap out of it!" Thorrnn shouted, getting the Absolute Sword's attention.

"Huh?" Yuuki said in confusion before realizing they were still in a battle. "Oh, my bad." Yuuki dived at the monster and finished it off with Mother's Rosario, her Original Sword Skill.

They all then gathered around on the ground.

"I'm sorry guys," Asuna said quickly. "I shouldn't have been spacing out like that."

Yuuki patted the Undine on the back. "It's okay," she said reassuringly. "Same thing happened to me."

"Hey, it's all good," Klein voiced. "You both came through in the end. But man, have I forgotten how challenging it is clearing elite mobs without Kirito and Marth."

Lisbeth nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Marth's wolf form hits hard and fast, while also having a high resistance to magic. His dragon form, on the other hand, is just broken. Not only is it crazy strong and it's a freaking tank, but he also doesn't like using it for some reason. Seriously, when he and Kirito team up, it's almost like nothing can stop them."

"Hey! What about me?!" Yuuki protested. "Me and Marth make a great team too, you know!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

"The same goes for you too, Yuuki," Lisbeth added. "When all three of you and Asuna work together, you're like a force of nature."

"Speaking of Kirito and Marth," Silica said suddenly. "Isn't the tournament they'll be competing in pretty soon?"

"Yeah," Leafa replied. "Why don't we call it a day and go watch it at Asuna's place in Yggdrasil City?"

"Hey, let's use the money we earned to buy some snacks and drinks too," Klein added.

"Do you honestly think we'll let you blow it all on refreshments?" Lisbeth deadpanned.

Yui then flew over to her mother and aunt. "Don't worry, Mommy, Aunt Yuuki!" the pixie said reassuringly. "I'm sure Daddy and Uncle Marth will win!"

"But isn't BoB a singles tournament?" Asuna asked.

Yuuki giggled. "If anyone could figure out how to tie in BoB, it's Marth and Kirito," she said.

Asuna cracked a smile. "Yeah, those two are the same no matter where they are."

The fairies then began flying to Yggdrasil City.

**GGO**

Sinon was heading to the Governor's Office when she heard Spiegel call out to her.

"Hey Spiegel," she said casually. They then went to a place where they can talk alone.

"It's almost time," Spiegel said. "I believe in you. I know you're gonna win this thing."

"Thanks," Sinon replied. "So what are you going to do?"

"Well… I thought I'd watch the broadcast in some bar…"

"Cool," Sinon said. "I'll track you down when it's over so we can toast my victory or drown my sorrows."

The two friends shared a laugh.

"Sinon, I mean Shino," Spiegel said suddenly.

The female sniper was shocked that he used her real name. "Wh-what?"

"I was wondering if you meant what you said earlier."

"What did I say?"

"You asked me to wait for you, remember?" Spiegel said with a slight blush on his face. "When you win and conquer your fear, maybe we can… go out and stuff."

Sinon's face went red. "Y-you're bringing this up now?!" she said in embarrassment.

"It's just that… I care about you so much, Shino…" Spiegel tried to take Sinon's hand, but she moved it away.

"Don't do this now," Sinon said. "I have to focus on the tournament. I'm sorry, but I can't make through the tournament unless I put everything I've got into it."

Spiegel lowered his head in disappointment. "Right," he said slowly. "I understand. Even so, I believe in you. I'll wait until you're ready."

"R-right," Sinon replied. "Anyway, I should get going. See ya."

The blue-haired sniper began heading for the Governor's Office. When she entered the building, she saw a crowd of players gathered in front of her. Suddenly the crowd parted, revealing both Marth and Kirito walking towards her.

Sinon balled her fists in frustration. "I won't lose today!" she declared.

The Darkness Duo smirked. "Neither will we!" Kirito replied. "You're gonna see just what the Darkness Duo can do!"

"Yeah," Marth agreed.


	8. Bullet of Bullets Begins

Before Marth and Kirito had reached the Governor's Office, they decided to talk about Death Gun.

"The first time Death Gun appeared was after the second Bullet of Bullets," Marth said. "And both of the murders he committed were in public."

Kirito nodded in acknowledgement as they walked. "Yeah," he replied. "After that, Death Gun went under the radar. Probably leveling as much as he can to participate in this BoB. Problem is that none of the participants go by that name, which means his avatar uses a different handle."

"This won't be easy," Marth said. "Luckily we know someone who can point us in the right direction. That is, if she cooperates."

**Later**

Marth, Kirito, and Sinon were at the terminals to register for Bullet of Bullets.

"Hey Sinon," Kirito called out, trying to get the sniper's attention, but she didn't acknowledge him.

"Don't you know its rude to ignore people?" Marth questioned.

The sniper growled in frustration. "Shut up," she said rudely. "I thought I made it clear that I was done talking to you two."

"Yeah, well," Kirito said nervously. "I was wondering if we could swap some info before it starts. You know, for old time's sake."

Sinon sighed in defeat. "Fine, even though I'm the only one that'll be giving out any info." She proceeded to head towards the elevator.

"Hey! We know stuff too!" Marth argued as he and Kirito followed her.

The trio used the elevator to enter the bar at the governor's office, where a large group of players were in, with some of them being participants.

"I didn't think there was a place like this here," Marth admitted as he adjusted his hair to keep it out of his face.

"Yeah, well the final is like one big party," Sinon replied before leading the duo to a booth.

Three guys, who were sitting at the bar, noticed the trio.

"Hey…it's Kirito and Marth," one of the guys, who was wearing a blue camo suit, said.

"Those two cut people good with those photon swords of theirs'," the second one said, who had dark skin and wore a black outfit.

"Ooo, two hot berserkers with a blade," said the third, who wore a black combat outfit and an eyepatch.

"Sinon's more of my type, brother," the second guy said.

The camo guy nodded. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind taking a bullet from Sinon," he replied.

The man with the eyepatch chuckled. "Heh, I'd rather get slashed."

"Then go play ALO with the fairies," the camo guy responded.

Kirito and Marth weren't watching where they were going as they were looking around the room and accidently bumped into two guys.

"Oh, sorry," Marth said apologetically, his avatar's voice naturally being a higher pitch than his real one. It took a bit more effort for him to talk normally.

The two guys jumped back in surprise. "You're Kirito and Marth!?" they said together while making room for the "girls" to pass. "Sorry!"

Kirito and Marth walked a few feet passed the two guys before stopping, each secretly sharing a mischievous grin.

"Hey guys," Kirito said, making the two players nervous.

He and Marth quickly turned around and did a cute pose before saying together in a feminine voice, "Hope you all rout for us!"

Almost all the guys immediately cheered.

"Good luck out there!" one player exclaimed.

"I'm betting all my credits on you, Marth!" another player added.

Sinon folded her arms and groaned. "Would you guys stop messing with them?" she said in annoyance.

The Darkness Duo high-fived each other in victory as they continued to follow Sinon to a booth.

"That was great!" Kirito said in his normal tone. "Maybe we should do that more often?"

"I'm down, but I'm not sure Asuna and Yuuki would approve," Marth replied, also in his normal tone.

The trio then sat down, where Sinon ordered a drink.

Deciding to get serious, Kirito said, "Okay, so there are thirty players competing in the finals, and they're randomly placed across the same map, right? Then you go around shooting whoever you find and the last one standing is the winner?"

Sinon groaned in frustration as she got her drink. "I knew it," she said bitterly. "You're going to make me explain the whole damn thing to you after all." Sinon paused to take a sip. "Don't you guys have email? The admins should've sent it to you two today?"

Marth chuckled nervously, since they never even entered their email addresses when they first registered for Bullet of Bullets. "Yeah, but Kirito and I want to make sure we understood everything," he lied. "There was a lot of info to absorb."

"Yeah right," Sinon scoffed. "Basically, you got the gist of it. The final is a battle royal between thirty players on the same map. Start points are random and players are dropped a thousand meters away from each other."

"One thousand meters?" Kirito said in surprise. "That's got to be one huge map."

"Honestly," Sinon groaned. "You _didn't_ read the email, did you? It's a multi-stage arena that's about ten kilometers in diameter. It's got mountains, forests and deserts. The start time is afternoon so there's no advantage or disadvantage in terms of gear or skills."

"How can you find anyone in such a huge area?" Marth asked inquisitively.

"That's part of the challenge," Sinon explained. "It's a game with gun fights, remember. Anyway, players are given an item to track other players. It's called a Satellite Scan Terminal."

"A satellite?" Kirito questioned. "Is it like a spy drone or something?"

"Yup. It works just like in real life. It passes by overhead every fifteen minutes. When it does, it scans the arena and transmits the coordinates of every player directly to your terminal."

"In other words, you can only hide in the same place for only fifteen minutes," Marth said.

"You got it," Sinon confirmed.

Kirito smirked. "But doesn't all that moving around put a sniper at a disadvantage?"

"Fifteen minutes is more than enough time for a sniper to do their job," Sinon replied. "I fire, I kill my target, I move on." She then took a few more sips of her drink.

"That does make sense."

"So we good here?" Sinon questioned as she stood up. "Next time I find you two…"

Kirito and Marth started to panic.

"H-hey, hold up!" Kirito said hastily as he grabbed Sinon's scarf, unintentionally spilling her drink.

_"Nice save,"_ Marth thought sarcastically.

There was an awkward silence until Sinon broke it. "Is there something else?"

"Uh, yeah," Kirito replied. "It's what Marth and I really want to talk about."

Sinon reluctantly sat down as Marth accessed his system menu and brought out the list of BoB participants.

"Out of all the BoB contestants, how many of them are first-timers?" Marth questioned.

Sinon looked confused. "Okay, that's weird," she said.

"Please, just look at it and tell us," Kirito pleaded. "It's important."

The sniper was silent for a moment. "Well, if it's just names you want to know, I guess it's all right." Sinon began skimming through the list. "The first-timers I don't know, besides two losers with photon swords, are three names."

"Really?" Marth said quickly. "Point them out."

"Jushi X, Pale Rider, and Sterben, I guess."

_"Is one of them Death Gun?"_ Marth asked himself.

"Are you guys going to tell me what this is about?" Sinon questioned fiercely.

The Darkness Duo went silent as they struggled to form a reply. Sinon began tapping the table impatiently as she became increasingly frustrated.

"Getting ready to blow a fuse over here," the sniper said in warning. "Are you guys trying to make me mess up in the finals by ticking me off?"

"No, that's not it," Kirito spoke up as he and his partner lowered their heads, with the former clenching his fists. "It's just…"

"Does this have to do with you two acting weird yesterday?" Sinon questioned in concern.

Marth slowly nodded. "It does," he said. "Yesterday, Kirito and I were approached by someone we played against in another VRMMO. We're pretty sure one of the names you pointed out is him."

"Is he a friend of yours?"

"No, an enemy," Kirito replied as he held his left arm with his other hand. "Neither of us can remember his name, but I think he and I tried to kill each other."

Sinon's eyes widened in shock. "Kill each other? Was it an argument with someone in your party? Something like that?"

"No," the Black Swordsman said. "You don't kill someone over an argument. Him and his group did horrible things. Things like murder. They were too far gone so the only way to stop them was by force."

"Neither me or Kirito regret what we did," Marth took over. "But neither of us have taken responsibility for it. We forced ourselves to forget it even happened." The Dark Swordsman locked eyes with Sinon. "For us, there's no more running away."

"Yeah," Kirito agreed. "This time, we have to face what we did head on."

Both lightswordsmen let out a heavy breath.

"Sorry about that," Kirito continued. "Just forget it, okay?"

"Do you think you could still pull the trigger, though?" Sinon asked suddenly, repeating the same question Kirito asked her, causing the Darkness Duo to gasp. "Kirito, Marth, what was the name of that game you met this guy in? Sorry, never mind. That's personal."

Marth shook his head dismissively. "No, it's okay."

Despite what she said, Sinon tried to sort out everything she learned. _"Kirito and Marth. I knew I heard those names before. Those are the handles used by the people who cleared Sword Art Online. Does that mean these two are them?"_

Sinon checked the time and saw that BoB would be starting in ten minutes. "We should head for the Waiting Dome," the sniper suggested. "We need to check our gear and get ourselves psyched up for this battle."

The Darkness Duo was surprised at the change of subject but nodded in agreement.

"R-right," Kirito said. "Lead the way."

The trio went to the elevator and proceeded down to the Waiting Dome. As they waited for the doors to open, Sinon said, "I get that you guys have your reasons for being here, just like me." She approached Kirito from behind and pressed a finger gun against his back. "But it has nothing to do with the promise you made me. I got to pay you back for yesterday's final, got it? You owe me a fight, so you better stay alive."

"Roger that," Kirito said, not even glancing back. "I'll give you the fight you want. But just a heads up, you better hope you come across me when I'm alone. When Marth and I are together, we're unstoppable."

"Good," Sinon replied, unfazed, as she lowered her hand. "That'll make it much more satisfying when I win."

The elevator door then opened, prompting the trio to hurry for the changing rooms, with Kirito and Marth going in one, while Sinon went into another. Both swordsmen began checking their gear and saw that everything was good to go.

"Let's meet up right when this thing starts," Marth voiced. "That way we can go looking for Death Gun together."

Kirito nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We don't know what he's capable of. It's better if we take him on as a team rather than on our own." The Black Swordsman smiled as he raised a fist. "Good luck out there."

The Dark Swordsman smiled back. "And you," he said as they fist-bumped right as the countdown for tournament reached zero.

**Later**

Marth found himself in a ruined city. He quickly took cover behind a building and scanned the perimeter. _"Now to meet up with Kirito,"_ the silver-haired lightswordsman thought. _"But this map is huge, and he could be anywhere."_ He checked his watch. _"I don't have time to wait for the Satellite Scan. There's no doubt he'll be searching for those three players Sinon mentioned. If I find one of them, maybe Kirito will be there too."_

Marth looked around for enemy players. When he didn't see any, he ran down the street looking for a way out of the city. After looking around for a few minutes, bullets came flying towards the Dark Swordsman, prompting him to hide behind a car. He took a quick peek at who was shooting at him and saw that it was none other than Reyn, who was on the second floor of a building in front of him.

"You're not beating me this time, little girl!" Reyn exclaimed as he continued to fire his machine gun at the swordsman.

Marth let out a grunt before running from the car and hiding behind a pillar, with bullets behind trailing him.

"Great," Marth said in annoyance as Reyn kept shooting at his hiding spot. "This guy's mad because he thinks a girl beat him and wants revenge. Can these guys get even more predictable?"

Suddenly, a bullet rolled over to the Dark Swordsman's foot, which he picked up to examine. It was identical to the ones used in his FN Five-Seven. He turned in the direction the bullet came from and briefly saw a trail of long black hair sneak inside the building Reyn was in. Marth smirked as he deciphered the meaning of the bullet. Distract Reyn. Marth activated his photon sword and charged at the gunman. Reyn immediately opened fire on the silver-haired lightswordsman, but this time Marth deflected every one of them.

_"Guess it was a good thing I did fight him before,"_ Marth thought as he stood his ground against the onslaught of bullets. _"It helped me learn how to react fast enough to block his bullets."_

"Die, you pathetic girl!" Reyn shouted at the top of his lungs.

Reyn was so focused on killing Marth that he failed to notice a certain black-haired swordsman stealthily approach him from behind and stab him in the back with a photon sword.

"Sorry, but that's my partner you're insulting," Kirito said simply as Reyn's HP drained away.

"W-what? Wh-where did you…?" Reyn's HP hit zero before he could finish. Instead of disintegrating, Reyn's body fell to the ground and a "Dead" icon appeared above him. Kirito and Marth deactivated their photon swords and put them back on their belts before meeting up on the street.

"Thanks for the assist," Marth said as he high-fived his partner. "But how'd you find me so quickly?"

"I overheard a couple players talking about Reyn wanting payback against the 'girl' who beat him before the finals began," Kirito explained. "So I decided to try to find you by listening for any rapid machine gunfire so we could tag-team him, and it looks like it worked."

"Okay. We should look for one of the three players Sinon showed us," Marth suggested. "The sooner we find Death Gun, the sooner we can stop him."

Kirito nodded. "Agreed. I saw a river leading outside the city on my way over," he replied. "I did a scan of the map and saw that Pale Rider was in the forest. You interested in going for a swim?"

Marth smirked before nodding.

**Meanwhile**

Sinon had just finished killing her next target by shooting one of his grenades, setting it off prematurely. She then hurried into the forest and ducked behind a tree. The sniper checked the time and pulled out her terminal, which revealed a holographic map of the arena.

"Let's see," Sinon said to herself. "There are twenty-one survivors left in play." She looked and saw four players near her position. Sinon tapped the icons to the north-east of her and saw that it was Dyne being chased by Pale Rider. "Looks like Dyne's on the run."

The sniper then recalled that Pale Rider was one of the names she mentioned to the Darkness Duo. "I wonder how they're doing out there? Have they managed to meet up already?" She shook her head to clear it as she saw Dyne and Pale Rider were heading for the bridge by the river, which was nearby. "Doesn't matter right now. Right now, I know my next two targets."

The terminal then deactivated as the satellite moved out of range, prompting Sinon to hurry towards the bridge.

Meanwhile, Dyne was running through the forest as fast as he can.

"Damn," the player cursed. "This guy's freaking persistent."

Dyne quickly found himself at the bridge and smirked. He then hurried across to the other side before turning towards the forest and laying down on his stomach, ready to fire when his opponent revealed himself.

"Come on," Dyne goaded. "I've a mag-full of rounds with your name on them!"

Unbeknownst to Dyne, Sinon had positioned herself on a cliff to the west of him and was aiming her Hecate directly at him.

"You forgot to check your six again, Dyne," the sniper chided. "See you later."

Sinon was about to pull the trigger when suddenly she sensed movement behind her.

"Who's there?!" she demanded as she pulled out her side-arm and turned around.

Suddenly Kirito knocked Sinon's gun away and grabbed her by the wrists to restrain her. Marth also appeared and kept low to the ground.

"Keep it down," the Black Swordsman said in a hushed voice. "We need a favor."

"Are you kidding? There's no more time for favors," Sinon argued as she tried to aim her side-arm at Kirito, but he continued holding her in place. "One of us dies here and now!"

"Do that and you'll give away our position," Marth voiced.

"What are you guys even doing here?" Sinon demanded.

"Marth and I want to watch what happens on the bridge," Kirito replied. "So don't shoot, okay."

"Fine, then what?"

"That depends, but we're not here for you. We'll leave after the battle's over."

"The minute you two turn your backs, I'll blow you away," Sinon swore angrily.

Kirito gritted his teeth. "If that's what you want, fine," he said. "But just stay quiet. They're about to start."

Sinon stopped struggling and gave in. "Fine, but after that, its me against you and Marth."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Marth questioned. "Not only do we outnumber you, but Kirito and I specialize in close combat. I doubt a sniper rifle will do you much good in this situation."

"Shut up," Sinon replied as Kirito released her before moving closer to his partner as they both pulled out a pair of binoculars and focused on the bridge.

"For guys wearing black, your stealth skills are pathetic," Sinon commented as she put her side-arm away before eyeing the bridge through Hecate's scope.

"I'm not letting him leave here alive, got it?" the sniper continued.

"He's all yours." Kirito then noticed something on the other side of the bridge. "Wait. Company."

Both Marth and Sinon focused on the spot Kirito pointed out and saw Pale Rider slowly walking across the bridge. The new arrival was wearing a white camo suit and mask while also carrying a shotgun.

The trio watched as Dyne immediately opened fire but were shocked as Pale Rider simply rolled away before swinging himself across one of the bridge's supports to get higher.

"He's fast," Sinon said in disbelief. "He boosted his three-dimensional mobility by carrying lighter gear."

"And here I heard that AGI builds didn't work in GGO," Marth added.

"Guess this guy didn't get the memo," Kirito replied.

Dyne stood up to aim at Pale Rider, who was now on the bridge's support beam before continuing his advance while also evading Dyne's attacks. Pale Rider then quickly jumped down and slid to evade more Dyne's bullets before the latter ran out. Dyne tried to switch mags, but Pale Rider fired his shotgun at him, hitting him right in the shoulder while also preventing the switch.

The trio watched as Pale Rider closed the distance between him and his opponent before shooting Dyne in the chest, causing the player to fall to his knees. Pale Rider then reloaded his gun before shooting Dyne in the head, finishing him off.

"If only Dyne had enough time to switch rounds," Sinon voiced. "He could've shot him in the hips and kill him easily."

"Pale Rider is fast and powerful," Marth added. "Maybe he's the guy in the cloak?"

Sinon recalled her earlier conversation with the Darkness Duo and wondered if he was referring to the enemy they mentioned. She then aimed her rifle at Pale Rider. "I'm taking him out," she said.

"Okay," Kirito said slowly. "But if that's who Marth thinks he is, it won't be easy."

"Please," Sinon scoffed. "He can't dodge my bullet at this range."

Suddenly Pale Rider was shot in the shoulder and collapsed to the ground. However, the shocking part was that it was completely silent. Unlike Dyne, Pale Rider didn't have a "Dead" notification in front of him, meaning he was still alive.

"Did either of you hear a gunshot?" Sinon questioned.

"I didn't hear one," Marth replied.

"Me either," Kirito added. "What the hell's going on?"

"Two possibilities," the sniper said. "It could've been a laser rifle with a muffled blast, or maybe a live ammo gun with a silencer. Either way, it wasn't a kill shot, so why isn't he moving?"

"I think the shot came from the forest," the Dark Swordsman said.

Sinon shook her head. "No. he was sniped from a further position than that. I did a scan of the map not too long ago. There's no one within one kilometer from here." Sinon then realized something. "While we're on the subject, you mind telling me how you and Kirito just showed up here."

"Uh, we were chasing that Pale Rider guy," Marth replied. "Hang on… that's it."

"What are you talking about?" Sinon asked in confusion.

"You see, when the map was scanned, Marth and I were swimming in the river," Kirito explained. "The scans must not have picked us up because we were underwater."

"With all that equipment? You guys should've drowned."

"Nah, we unequipped everything before we dove in and reequipped them when we got out."

Sinon looked somewhat impressed. "I never knew we could use the river as cover from the satellite," she said with a small grin. "Thanks for the tip."

Marth then noticed something on Pale Rider's body. "Uh, guys," he said slowly. "There's a weird light on his shoulder."

Both players zoomed in on Pale Rider's shoulder and saw a thin blue energy bullet sticking out of it while emitting electricity.

Sinon gasped in shock. "A stun bullet!"

Suddenly Kirito gasped as he saw Death Gun lurking in the shadows by Pale Rider. "How long has he been there?" he asked fiercely.

Both Marth and Sinon were too stunned to answer. The trio watched as Death Gun slowly approached the paralyzed Pale Rider. Sinon then noticed a sniper rifle under his cloak.

"He's got a Silent Assassin," Sinon said in awe.

"That's the name of his rifle?" Marth questioned.

Sinon nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, it's a high-end sniper rifle that has a badass silencer on it," she explained. "I heard rumors of one being in GGO before, but this is the first time I've seen it before. If he can handle that gun, he must be some player."

Death Gun strapped his Silent Assassin to his shoulder when he got in front of Pale Rider before pulling out his handgun.

"Why would he use his handgun to finish him off?" Sinon asked in confusion.

The Darkness Duo panicked as they watched Death Gun do the sign of the cross and realized what he was going to do.

"Sinon, shoot!" Kirito said desperately.

The sniper looked at the Black Swordsman in confusion. "Which one?"

"The guy in the cloak!" Marth answered. "There's no time! Shoot him! Don't let him fire that gun!"

A gunshot then echoed in the air.

**To be continued**


	9. Death Gun

**Meanwhile in ALO**

Asuna, Leafa, Yuuki, Celina, Thorrnn, Yui, Silica, Lisbeth and Klein were watching the Bullet of Bullets livestream from the former's apartment in Yggdrasil City. There were multiple gun battles happening, yet none of them involved two certain swordsmen.

"Where's Kazuto and Marth?" Leafa questioned after taking a sip of her drink. "They should've shown up by now."

"They probably don't have all the videos up on the stream yet," Thorrnn replied. "Marth and Kirito will appear eventually."

"I don't know," Klein said. "Those guys are some of the craftiest players I've ever known. Chances are that they're both hiding out somewhere waiting for some of the competition to die out."

Asuna laughed at the samurai's comment. "Oh please. We all know that Kirito and Marth don't play like that," the Undine said before facing her daughter, who was sitting on her shoulder. "Right Yui?"

The pixie nodded. "Absolutely Mommy. Besides, Daddy and Uncle Marth are so fast they might not even show up on camera," Yui replied cheerfully before doing a couple of mock punches. "They'll sneak up on their enemies before they'll know what hit them."

Everyone else laughed at the pixie's enthusiasm. "They can't do it any other way!" Lisbeth added. "They're in a world with guns and they're using swords! Talk about stupid!"

"Well I would've used a sword too," Yuuki voiced.

The pink-haired blacksmith let out a heavy sigh. "Why am I not surprised?"

Suddenly footage of a silver-haired lightswordsman getting shot at by another player. The fairies instantly recognized the swordsman's handle as he took cover behind a pillar.

"I think we found Marth," Silica said as they watched the lightswordsman come out of hiding and began deflecting barrages of bullets with a silver photon sword. "But why isn't he running away?"

"It's Marth we're talking about," Celina replied. "Running from a fight isn't exactly his style."

"True," the Cait Sith said.

"Take him down, Marth!" Yuuki cheered loudly.

Suddenly a purple blade cut through Marth's opponent like butter. "What the?" the girls said in surprise as a certain swordsman with long black hair appeared behind the player. The handle was also very familiar.

"Looks like your boyfriend is fulfilling his promise to you, Asuna," Thorrnn told the Undine. "He's looking after my brother. I wonder if they'll face each other off when they're the last players standing. That'll be an interesting fight to say the least."

"Does anyone else find it funny that Marth and Kirito's avatars look very feminine," Celina said, prompting everyone to laugh.

"Totally," Thorrnn agreed. "The next few weeks will be interesting to say the least."

Footage of Pale Rider and Dyne's battle started to come through.

Lisbeth let out a whistle as they watched Pale Rider easily overpower Dyne and kill him. "That guy in white is unbelievable," the pink-haired blacksmith said in awe. "He'd give Kirito and Marth a run for their money, literally."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Yuuki replied. "Don't forget that Marth and Kirito are super-fast too!"

The group then watched as Pale Rider knocked down by a bullet.

"Looks like your guy isn't as good as you thought, Liz," Klein teased.

"Shut up. He's not dead yet," Lisbeth replied before having the video zoom in on Pale's shoulder. They saw that a long glowing blue bullet was sticking out of it and emitting lightning.

"What's that?" Silica asked curiously.

"It appears to be a paralysis attack," Yui explained. "No doubt it's only temporary."

Leafa briefly shivered. "It's like getting by the spell, Thunder Web."

Suddenly a man in a black poncho appeared in front of Pale Rider, prompting the camera to zoom out so the group could see the new arrival, Death Gun. They watched as Death Gun pulled out a handgun and did the sign of the cross.

**Back in GGO**

"Sinon, shoot," Kirito said desperately.

The sniper eyed the Black Swordsman in confusion. "Which one?"

"The guy in the cloak!" Marth replied hastily. "Hurry! Don't let him fire that gun!"

Sinon aimed her Hecate at Death Gun, with the Bullet Circle appearing on his head. Sinon immediately pulled the trigger and watched as her bullet sailed towards the cloaked player, only for Death Gun to evade it, causing the bullet to crash into the bridge while creating a dust cloud by him. The trio was shocked at the sight, especially when Death Gun looked right at them.

"Holy crap," Sinon said as she removed the empty casing from her rifle. "He knew I was here!"

"How could he?" Kirito questioned.

"He must've spotted me earlier and confirmed it by using the system."

Marth gritted his teeth as they watched Death Gun return his focus to Pale Rider. Death Gun grasped his handgun with both hands as his eyes flashed with a brighter red before shooting the stunned player in the shoulder, reducing Pale Rider's HP by a third.

Suddenly Pale Rider's paralysis wore off, prompting him to quickly stand up and aim his shotgun at Death Gun's head. However, before he could even pull the trigger, Pale Rider dropped his shotgun before falling down on his back. He clutched his chest tightly before quickly disappearing, leaving a disconnection notice behind.

"What the?" Sinon said in confusion.

**ALO**

Asuna and the others watched as Death Gun crushed the disconnection notice under his boot. The livestream camera then zoomed in on his head, startling Silica, prompting Thorrnn to put her arm around her in a protective manner.

"Death Gun is my name, and the name of this gun!" Death Gun declared as he aimed his handgun up.

Both Yuuki and Asuna gasped as they sensed a familiar feeling from the GGO player.

"One day, I'll pay you all a visit," Death Gun continued as steam shot out of his mask. "And bring _real death_ with this gun. You've seen my power. It is real! This isn't over… not yet. I'm just getting started. It's showtime."

_"I've met that person before,"_ Asuna thought. _"But where? There's only one place I could've. Aincrad!"_

The Undine was snapped out of her thoughts when Klein suddenly dropped the mug he was holding in shock, making a loud crash sound that startled the girls.

"Are you _trying_ to give us heart attacks, Klein?!" Lisbeth accused as they turned towards the samurai, who looked speechless.

"Y-you got to be kidding me," the Salamander said in shock. "It can't be…"

"Do you know him too, Klein?" Asuna asked as she stood up.

"I feel like I know this guy too," Yuuki added. "But I can't remember his name. Do you know, Klein?"

Klein shook his head. "N-no, I forgot the handle he used, but I know it's him," he replied. "There's no doubt. He was in Laughing Coffin."

All the SAO Survivors in the room gasped.

"Laughing Coffin… I knew it," Asuna said slowly. "Was he their leader? You know, the one with the meat cleaver?"

"No, pretty sure it's not PoH," Klein said with certainty. "There's something about the way this guy talks and acts is totally different. Except for that showtime line though. PoH was the only one who said that. But this guy, he was close to PoH. I'm talking right-hand man close."

Both Asuna and Yuuki turned towards the screen in worry.

"Kirito," the Undine said.

"Marth," the Imp added. "What did you get yourself into?"

**GGO**

Marth, Kirito, and Sinon watched as Death Gun put his handgun away.

"There's no doubt about it," the Black Swordsman said. "That's Death Gun."

"Death Gun?" Sinon said slowly. "You're joking. Are you saying the rumors about players getting shot and disappearing were true?"

Kirito nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, they are. Marth and I don't know how he does it, but somehow he's killing players in the real world."

"That's insane!" Sinon protested.

"It's not," Marth said in a serious tone. "Two people have been confirmed dead."

The trio watched as Death Gun paid no attention to Dyne's avatar before walking over to a pillar and disappearing from sight.

"Where'd he go?" Marth questioned.

Suddenly Sinon's watch started going off, indicating that the next Satellite Scan was coming.

"Kirito, you and Marth watch the bridge while I scan the map to find out what handle Death Gun's avatar uses," the sniper said.

"Okay," Kirito replied before he and his partner did what they were told.

Sinon stood up and walked behind the duo and activated her terminal. A holographic 3D map appeared before she zoomed in on the bridge and saw four white circles. The sniper selected the three that were close together, which was her, Kirito and Marth, before selecting the one on the bridge. Much to her surprise, it was Dyne, who was dead.

_"What? Where is he?"_ Sinon questioned. _"Could he have moved that fast? No…"_

"This is our chance," Sinon said aloud, catching the Darkness Duo's attention.

"For what?" Marth asked inquisitively.

"Your pal in the cloak isn't showing up on the map on the terminal," the sniper explained. "My guess is that he jumped in the river. If I'm right, then he had to disable his gear like you did."

"What about his handgun?" Kirito voiced. "He can still move underwater with that still equipped."

"Even if he could, it's just a little handgun," Sinon passed off as she walked over to her Hecate rifle. "I can take him out easy with my Hecate…"

"No!" Kirito said as he grabbed Sinon's wrist, catching the sniper off-guard. "Weren't you paying attention? He used that 'little gun' to murder Pale Rider. All it takes is one shot! One shot and you're dead for real!"

Sinon looked away from the Black Swordsman. "I don't buy it. How could he kill people IRL from a video game?" the sniper asked.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth," the silver-haired swordsman said as he and Kirito stood up, with the latter letting go of Sinon. "This Death Gun guy killed a lot of people in this other VRMMO we were in. When he used his sword on someone, he knew he was really killing them." Marth then lowered his gaze in guilt. "And… so did we…"

"There's a murderer here in GGO?" the sniper said in disbelief. Sinon suddenly found herself remembering the bank robber that she killed, causing her blood pressure to increase.

"Sinon! Sinon!" Kirito called out in concern, snapping the sniper from her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Sinon slowly nodded. "Yeah, I'm all right," she replied. "Just a little freaked out. I'm still not convinced if what you and Marth say is possible, but I know you aren't lying to me."

"That's good enough," Marth said. "We can't really ask for more."

"Yeah, well, we should probably get out of here," Sinon said as she shut off her terminal. "The others know we're here by now. They'll think we're in a three-way battle, so they'll be closing in soon."

Kirito nodded in acknowledgement. "You got a point. We'll split up here then." He then turned towards the bridge, prompting Marth to do the same.

"Wait, what are you guys going to do?" Sinon questioned.

"What's it look like?" Marth said. "We're going after Death Gun. You need to make sure you stay away from him."

"But…"

"I'll make sure to keep my promise," Kirito added. "Next time we meet, I'll make sure to give you the fight I owe you. Oh, and thanks for hearing us out instead of shooting us. All right, let's go, Marth!"

"Right behind you." The Darkness Duo proceeded to jump down the cliff, ignoring Sinon's protests in the process.

Once they were on the ground, the lightswordsmen proceeded into the forest.

"That fight you mentioned," Marth said suddenly. "Do you want me to back you up, or do you want to fight Sinon one-on-one?"

"I'd probably prefer a one-on-one match with her," Kirito replied. "But it all depends on what Sinon wants."

"Hey, wait for me!" a familiar voice cried out.

The Darkness Duo stopped running and turned to see none other than Sinon running towards them with her Hecate in hand.

"I'm coming with you two," Sinon said after she caught up with the swordsmen. "That Death Gun guy seems pretty tough. And if he kills you, Kirito, you won't be able to fight me."

"Hold on…" Kirito started to say. "I'm not taking him on alone, you know."

"I know, you've got Marth backing you up," Sinon interrupted. But what if its not enough? I'm not a fan of teaming up either, but I think we stand the best chance of taking Death Gun out if we all work together."

Marth placed his hand on his waist. "She does make a good point," he said in agreement. "We don't know when or where Death Gun will appear again. It may be dangerous to bring her along, but it'll be even more dangerous if she's alone."

Kirito eyed his partner and groaned. "I hate it when you're right," he said slowly. "Alright, you can come, Sinon."

"Thank you."

Suddenly Marth and Kirito activated their photon swords, catching Sinon off-guard. The duo quickly turned around and saw multiple Bullet Lines targeting them as a player proceeded to shoot at them. The Darkness Duo once again demonstrated their incredible coordination by deflecting the bullets with their photon swords, with neither of them getting in the other's way. Kirito even deflected a stray bullet that would've struck Sinon otherwise.

Soon, the enemy player ran out of bullets and started to switch rounds.

"We better take care of this joker," Kirito declared as he glanced at Sinon. "Marth and I will deflect his bullets. Sinon, wait for my signal to take him out."

The sniper nodded and proceeded to lay on her stomach and readied her Hecate. The enemy player and finished reloading his gun and proceeded to shoot at the trio again. Sinon watched in awe as Kirito and Marth deflected the bullets once more, while also doing a few acrobatic moves in the process.

As soon as the gunfire stopped, Kirito shouted, "Now Sinon!" He and Marth quickly got clear as Sinon fired a single round at their opponent, piercing through his stomach and killing him instantly.

Sinon then rose to her feet while Kirito and Marth deactivated their photon swords and strapped them to their belts.

"That's the end of him," Marth said confidently. "That was some awesome teamwork we did."

"Totally," Kirito agreed. "Anyway, let's go after Death Gun."

"Okay, but he could be anywhere by now," Sinon voiced. "Where should we go look for him?"

Kirito held his chin as he thought to himself. "If he did go into the river, he might be swimming north, towards the city. Our best chance to take him out is when he surfaces."

"Okay, but we don't even know what he's capable of," Marth added. "We can't just blindly rush him and hope we win." The silver-haired swordsman eyed the blue-haired sniper curiously. "What are your thoughts, Sinon? You know this game better than us."

Sinon paused before answering. "I don't know if he has any special skills, but he looks to be a sniper. He's gonna try to avoid any open conflict with no cover. If I was him, I'd set up in the ruins of that city."

The trio turned and saw the destroyed city in the distance. "That's where I spawned from and met up with Kirito," Marth said. "Reyn ambushed me there, so I know there are plenty of hiding spots there."

"All the more reason to check it out," Kirito said. "Let's hurry. The longer we stand here, the more time we give Death Gun to prepare for us."

The trio then began making their way to the ruined city.

**ALO**

Meanwhile Asuna and the others were in shock. The Undine was trying her best to comfort Lisbeth, with Celina helping out. Thorrnn, on the other hand, allowed Silica to lean on her as she was silent.

"In SAO, we had a code," Klein explained. "Never let a player's HP reach zero, no matter what. We knew if that happened, that player would die. Laughing Coffin didn't care. They killed dozens… no hundreds of players. It got so bad that the Assault Team had to step in to stop it."

Yuuki gritted her teeth as memories of what happened flooded in her head. "I remember that day vividly," the Absolute Sword said. "Marth had volunteered to investigate Laughing Coffin to find their base. I wanted to help him, but he wouldn't let me. It took a while, but he eventually found it. Once he did, the Assault Team formed a crusade to capture all of Laughing Coffin's members and send them to prison."

Thorrnn eyed the Imp nervously. "Was my brother a part of that crusade?"

Klein nodded. "Yeah, he was up front, going toe-to-toe with them," the samurai explained. "Me, Yuuki, Asuna and Kirito were there too. Everything went to hell pretty fast."

"I never knew." Thorrnn then recalled her brother's unusual behavior from last night. "That must have been why Marth was acting so weird last night."

"Kazuto was the same way," Leafa added. "I've never seen him look so scared before. Now I'm worried. Are they trying to settle a grudge or something?"

Asuna then realized who could fill them in on what the Darkness Duo is doing.

"A grudge?" Celina questioned. "I thought this was a part time job."

"Sorry, guys, but I have to log out," Asuna spoke up. "I need to get in touch with Marth and Kirito's client."

"Do you mean Chrysheight?" Yuuki questioned.

"Yes, he's the one who asked them to dive into GGO in the first place." Asuna then eyed her daughter, who was on her shoulder. "Yui, I need you to find out anything you can about GGO."

"Leave it to me, Mommy," Yui replied while saluting before the Undine logged out to contact Kikuoka.

**GGO**

Marth, Kirito, and Sinon were following the river to the city ruins, with the lightswordsmen keeping an eye on the river. Soon they reached the mouth of the river, but Death Gun was nowhere to be found.

"What the? Did we pass him on our way over here?" Sinon questioned.

"No," Marth replied. "Kirito and I were keeping an eye on the river the whole time we were running."

"I see. Well the river ends here, which means he must be lurking somewhere in the city."

Kirito then checked his watch and saw that the next scan was soon. "Okay," the Black Swordsman said. "When his location pops up in the next scan, we'll rush him before he can kill anyone else."

"I'm down with that," Sinon said. "But there's one problem. How will we know who Death Gun is? That's not his avatar's handle, remember?"

Kirito flinched as he realized his oversight. "R-right. Well, you said that didn't recognize the handles of three new players. It wasn't Pale Rider, that's for sure. That leaves us with two players you could be Death Gun. Jushi X and Sterben."

"If they're both in the city, we can't afford to go after the wrong one," Marth said as they headed into the city. "How are we gonna know which one to go after?"

"I just thought of something," Sinon said suddenly. "Jushi is Japanese for death and the x could mean cross, like the sign of the cross. Do either of you think Death Gun is Jushi X, or is it too obvious?"

Kirito held his chin as he thought about it. "Maybe not. Aren't avatar names usually simple and obvious? Mine's a variation of my real name while Marth got his from a video game character. What about you, Sinon?"

"Mine's a variation of my real name too."

"Well if they're both here, then let's go after Jushi X," Marth suggested. "Sinon, if either me or Kirito get paralyzed like Pale Rider, just stay calm and get into position. Chances are he'll want to shoot us with that handgun of his. When he comes out, the one who isn't paralyzed will keep Death Gun distracted long enough for you to shoot him."

"Aren't you worried that I'll shoot you guys too?" Sinon questioned.

Kirito smirked. "Please, you're the last person I'd expect to want to play it like that. Anyway, let's get going."

The trio continued heading into the city, but Marth felt a strange presence in the area, something that wasn't present the last time he was here.

"Hey, Kirito," the silver-haired lightswordsman spoke up as he examined his surroundings. "Do you feel that?"

The black-haired lightswordsman nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah. It almost feels like someone is watching us, but I can't tell where though."

Sinon rolled her eyes. "You guys are being delusional," she passed off. "There's no one around here. It's probably just the livestream cameras recording us."

Marth didn't look convinced, however. "I'm not so sure. This feels different from before. We should stay alert."

"I agree," Kirito added. "Our instincts have been on point so far. No reason to doubt them now."

After a while, the trio ducked behind a car before Sinon activated her terminal. As soon as the map appeared, she zoomed in on the city. The sniper told Kirito to check the north side of the map, which the swordsman complied. After checking a few white circles, he found that Jushi X was at the stadium.

"There he is!" Sinon said. "And there's no sign of Sterben anywhere. That means Jushi X _is_ Death Gun!"

"Looks that way," Kirito agreed as he noticed a player marker adjacent to the stadium. "He must be after that player now."

"Then we'll need to hurry," Marth added. "Ricoco will be in Death Gun's range soon. Is everyone ready?"

"I am," Kirito said.

"Me too," Sinon confirmed as she deactivated her terminal.

The trio hurried over to the stadium. When they were by the entrance, Sinon used her Searching skill and saw the end of a sniper rifle on the stadium's roof.

"He's up there."

"He must be waiting for Ricoco to show up," Marth said.

"Okay, here's the plan," Kirito explained. "Marth and I are going to attack Jushi X from behind while we have the chance. That building in front of the stadium might make a good place for you to get into position."

"No. I'm coming with you two," Sinon protested.

Marth placed his hand on the sniper's shoulder. "Not this time," the Dark Swordsman said. "Kirito and I are much better at close combat than you, Sinon. You, on the other hand, are better at attacking from a distance. We'll both feel a lot better with you watching our backs."

Sinon let out a heavy sigh. "Guess I can't argue with that."

"It should take Marth and me about thirty seconds to reach Death Gun's position," Kirito said. "Will that be enough time for you, Sinon?"

"It's plenty."

"All right. See you in a bit."

Kirito began sprinting towards the stadium, with Marth close behind. Sinon just watched as they disappeared from sight. The sniper then hurried over to the other building to get into sniping position.

_"As soon as we take out Death Gun, we'll be enemies again,"_ she thought to herself. _"I'll shoot them both, beat them… and then forget them. It's not like I'm going to see either of them again after this."_

Sinon was about to enter the building when a stun bullet struck her in the right shoulder, causing her to collapse on the ground.

_"What?"_ Sinon thought in confusion. _"But Death Gun's supposed to be at the stadium."_

Suddenly Sinon noticed something flickering in the shadows before revealing itself to be Death Gun, much to her shock. She then recalled how both Marth and Kirito felt a strange presence ever since they arrived at the city as Death Gun made his way over to her.

"Kirito… Marth," Death Gun stated. "Wherever you two are, its time I found out if you both are the real deal or fakes. I remember how you two fought _that day_. That fury and rage. If I kill this friend of yours, and you two go berserk like remember, I'll know it's really you."

Sinon's eyes widened in shock. _"He's gonna kill me?"_ She tried to reach for her sidearm, which was difficult due to the paralysis.

"Come on, Darkness Duo," Death Gun goaded. "Show me that fury of yours. Your rage… Your insane swords. Show me for old time's sake." He then began doing the sign of the cross while a livestream camera appeared behind him.

Sinon somehow managed to reach her sidearm and was about to try to pull it out when Death Gun revealed his handgun to her. It was none other than a Type 54 Black Star.

_"No. Not that gun!"_ Sinon said in fear as panic overtook her. _"Why does he have_ that _gun?! Why here?"_

Sinon was so distressed that she dropped her sidearm. Even if the paralysis wasn't in effect, she would've been petrified from the terror rising within her. She could only watch as Death Gun aimed his Black Star at her and prepared to shoot her. Her terror only increased when she saw the bank robber's face in Death Gun's glowing red eyes.

**To be continued**


	10. Escape From Death

As Death Gun prepared to shoot the petrified sniper, Sinon found herself overwhelmed by fear.

_"What it means to be strong, to be brave,"_ she thought. _"I thought… by watching Kirito and Marth, somehow, I could learn those things. I don't want to die!"_

Death Gun was about to pull the trigger when suddenly another gunshot was heard as a bullet struck the Laughing Coffin member in the shoulder. Another bullet also grazed his shoulder, prompting Death Gun to take cover behind a pillar before switching to his Silent Assassin and loading it with lethal bullets. He then returned fire at his unknown assailant before a grenade was thrown, prompting Death Gun to retreat.

However, instead of an explosion, the grenade released a smoke cloud, obscuring Sinon from view. The sniper soon found herself being picked up bridal-style.

"Don't worry. We've got you, Sinon," Kirito said to her as Marth retrieved Sinon's weapons. A red circle was on the Black Swordsman's shoulder, though it wasn't caused from Death Gun's rifle.

"Kirito," Sinon said slowly. "Marth."

"Let's get out of here before he comes back," Marth said with authority.

The Darkness Duo proceeded to flee with a paralyzed Sinon in their grasp.

Marth quickly glanced behind him and saw a flash of red light in the distance, along with a ragged cloak. The Dark Swordsman grunted in frustration. "He'll catch up to us at this rate!"

"I-I'm slowing you guys down," Sinon struggled to say. "Just leave me here. Save yourselves."

"Not gonna happen," Kirito objected as a bullet sailed passed him and struck a signpost, prompting Marth to activate his photon sword. The silver-haired lightswordsman saw another bullet coming towards them and quickly deflected it before pulling out his FN Five-Seven and returning fire, forcing their pursuer to take cover.

"Marth, in here!" Kirito cried out as he ducked into a rental garage.

The Dark Swordsman put his weapons away and followed his partner inside, where he saw four buggies and one mechanical horse.

"Which one should we take?" Marth asked.

"N-not the horse," Sinon said weakly. "It can go fast, but its too hard to handle."

"Buggy it is then," Kirito replied.

Kirito quickly set Sinon down on the only operational buggy and proceeded to rent it before getting in the driver's seat. Marth sat down next to the sniper and laid Hecate in-between them. Kirito then drove out of the building before stopping.

"Sinon, you need to destroy the horse with your rifle so Death Gun can't use it," Kirito said.

"A-all right. I'll try." Sinon aimed her rifle at the horse and prepared to pull the trigger but found herself unable to exert enough force to do so because of the paralysis.

"I can't pull it," Sinon said in fear. "I can't move my finger."

The silver-haired lightswordsman then spotted Death Gun in the distance, running towards the trio. "He's coming!" Marth exclaimed, prompting Kirito to drive towards the edge of the city at max speed.

"Hang on tight!" Kirito said.

Sinon gasped in terror as she saw the face of the bank robber instead of Death Gun's.

"Can we really outrun him?" Sinon questioned.

"We can still get away," Marth replied. "Pull yourself together."

Suddenly Sinon and Marth saw Death Gun was riding the mechanical horse with no problem, quickly gaining on them.

"No!" Sinon shouted in fear as she clutched to Kirito's back. "He's catching up!"

The Darkness Duo never saw the sniper look so afraid before.

"Go faster!" Sinon pleaded. "Don't let him catch us!"

Death Gun was quickly catching up and brought out his Black Star. However, he wasn't aiming at either Kirito or Marth, but at Sinon instead, which caught Marth's notice.

_"Why's he targeting Sinon?"_ the Dark Swordsman questioned as Sinon moved her head to avoid Death Gun's bullet. _"Kirito's the one driving this thing, so why isn't Death Gun shooting at him? Unless…"_

Marth chose not to finish his thought and brought out his FN Five-Seven before firing a few rounds at their pursuer, but Death Gun easily avoided them.

"I can't do this," Sinon said desperately. "I don't want to die!"

"You need to snap out of it, Sinon," Marth said with authority. "At this rate, he'll catch up to us. You need to pick up your gun and shoot him!"

Sinon quickly shook her head, still completely terrified. "I can't."

"You don't have to hit him," Kirito replied. "Just distract him long enough so we can escape."

"Don't make me do it! I don't want to die!"

Marth gritted his teeth. "Then hand me your rifle and I'll shoot him!"

Sinon turned towards her rifle. "Hecate is a part of me. Only I can use her." She turned towards their pursuer and readied her gun. She tried to pull the trigger but was still unable to exert enough force to do it. "I can't do it. I can't do it. I can't fight any longer."

"Everyone can fight if they have to. Marth and I know that better than anyone," Kirito replied. "It's your choice. Will you give up or will you fight?!"

Sinon closed her eyes in despair. "If it's my choice, then I don't want to fight anymore. I'm done with all my suffering. I played this game to try and get stronger, but I was wrong."

She opened her eyes when she felt Marth grab her firing hand and helped move her finger into position. "I can only do so much to help," the Dark Swordsman said. "You can't doubt yourself now. You can do this, Sinon."

"This isn't working," Sinon replied as her Bullet Circle was moving all over the place. "With all this shaking around, I can't lock onto him."

Kirito spotted something up ahead. "Don't worry. It'll stop right about…now!?" The buggy drove on a makeshift ramp and was launched upward.

_"How do they do it? How are they being so calm?"_ Sinon thought. _"No, they're giving this everything they've got to stop Death Gun. When they're in a fight, they go all out, no exceptions. That's where they get their strength."_ She pulled the trigger of her rifle, but instead of hitting Death Gun, she hit the fuel tank of a truck near him causing it to explode and seemingly consume him.

The buggy landed with a thud and the trio observed explosion destroy the horse before Kirito drove off into the desert. As he drove the buggy, Sinon, who was no longer paralyzed, checked the time and saw that the next scan was soon.

"This is bad," Kirito said as he stopped the buggy to look around. "We're way too exposed here. We need to find some cover."

Sinon then noticed a cave nearby. "I see a cave over there," she said. "If we hide inside, we can evade the satellite scans."

"Sounds good," Kirito replied. "Let's go."

The Black Swordsman drove the buggy to the cave, which was pretty small. The entrance was mostly covered by rocks, shielding it from view on the outside. Kirito parked the buggy underneath the rocks before he and Marth got off to stretch.

"This is perfect," Marth said. "We can dodge the scan and rest up too."

Sinon held her gun closely and got off the buggy and went to the back of the cave and sat down.

"That was weird," Marth said as he looked out the entrance. "Death Gun just appeared out of thin air back there, but we didn't see him on the scan."

"I bet he was the one we sensed lurking around earlier," Kirito added. "But how does he do it. Sinon, is there some kind of cloaking skill in this game?"

"Yeah. It's called «Meta-material Optical Camouflage»," Sinon replied. "We'll be safe here for now. Even if he's invisible, the sand's so rough here that we'll hear his boots crunching and see his footprints too. He won't be able to sneak up on us here."

Kirito forced a smile. "All right. Then we'll just keep our eyes and ears open." He and Marth sat down next to Sinon, the former of which used a medical kit to restore his HP back to full.

"Kirito, Marth, do either of you think Death Gun died in that explosion?"

Marth shook his head. "Nope. I saw him jump off the horse right before it exploded. He may be injured, but he's not dead."

"Oh," Sinon said before setting her gun against the wall. "When Death Gun had me completely helpless outside the stadium, I thought I was dead. How'd you two get to me so quickly back there?"

Kirito cracked a smile as he leaned back against the wall. "We were wrong about Jushi X being Death Gun," he explained. "I took one look and I knew we got the wrong person."

"What do you mean?" Sinon questioned.

"Well, Jushi X is a woman," Kirito said. "At that point, Marth realized we overlooked something, but he couldn't figure out what though. Oh, by the way, even though her handle says 'Jushi', she actually calls herself 'Musketeer X'."

"After we defeated Musketeer X, we saw you lying there on the street," Marth took over. "Kirito and I realized you were in danger, so we borrowed one of her smoke grenades and hurried to you."

Sinon lowered her head in shame. "I can't believe I let my guard down like that."

"Don't blame yourself over it. Kirito and I are as much to blame for it," Marth replied. "None of us knew that Death Gun could turn invisible. It could've happened to any one of us."

Sinon groaned in disgust. "Great. Just what I need. My rival's partner consoling me like I'm a child or something."

The Darkness Duo locked eyes and silently agreed on what to do. "Marth and I are gonna head out for a bit," Kirito voiced. "Sinon, it might be a good idea for you to rest up here, especially since we can't log out while BoB is still happening."

The blue-haired sniper noticed both swordsmen were checking the status on their equipment. "You guys are going after Death Gun, aren't you?" Sinon questioned.

"Yeah," Marth confirmed. "We have to. Death Gun's tough and he won't go down without getting a shot on us. If it comes down to that, I don't know what'll happen next."

"Aren't you two afraid of him too?"

"Of course, we are," Kirito explained. "If Marth and I were the old us from that other game, neither of us would be afraid to die. But we aren't like that anymore. There are things we have to protect, both in the real world and the virtual world."

"Can't you two just let Death Gun win the tournament? We can't log out while BoB is still happening. When it gets down to the three of us and one other player, we can just suicide out and let that guy win."

Marth shook his head. "Sorry, but that's not an option," he told the sniper. "If we sit around, who knows how many other people Death Gun will murder."

Sinon lowered her head in disappointment. "You're both strong. I can't hide in here while you two risk your lives out there," she replied. "I want to help you take that dastard down."

"No way!" Kirito refused. "Did you forget that if he shoots you there's a chance you'll die? Marth and I are skilled at close combat, you're not. Death Gun can turn invisible and appear right next to you before pulling the trigger."

"I don't care if I die," Sinon said coldly, shocking the ;ightswordsmen. "I was scared out of my mind back in the stadium. I was scared I was gonna die. I was even weaker than I was five years ago, like a screaming, crying little girl. If that's how I'm gonna be for the rest of my life, I'd rather be dead."

"It's only natural to be afraid of death," Kirito replied. "I don't know anyone who's not afraid of dying."

Sinon hugged her knees tightly. "Yeah, well, I hate it. I'm tired of being afraid. I'm so tired of it. Whatever… I'm not asking to go with you two. I'll fight by myself." The sniper rose to her feet and was about to leave the cave when Kirito grabbed her wrist while standing up.

"You want to fight alone _and_ die alone?" the Black Swordsman questioned fiercely. "Is that what you're saying?"

"Of course," Sinon confirmed. "I was always supposed to die alone." She tried to leave, but Kirito kept a firm grip on her. "Let go! I have to do this."

Marth sighed at the sniper's lack of concern for herself. "You're wrong, Sinon," he said as he stood up. "No one dies alone. When you die, you leave a hole in people whose lives you were a part of. And like it or not, you're a part of me and Kirito's lives now."

Sinon gritted her teeth in frustration as she turned towards the male players. "Well I never asked to be a part of it!" she retorted bitterly. "My life is no one's business but my own!"

"You're wrong," Kirito argued. "We're all involved with each other's lives now!"

Sinon rejected Kirito's hand and grabbed him by the collar of his coat. "All right. If that's how it is, then you two can protect me for the rest of my life?!" she exclaimed as all of her bottled up emotions broke loose. Tears leaked from her eyes and she hit Kirito's chest a couple of times, though it was not enough hurt him health-wise.

"You and Marth don't know anything! This is my fight, not yours! Even if I lose, even if I die, no one can blame me for what I did!" She made a fist with her right hand. "Are you two gonna carry this burden with me? Are you gonna hold my hand even though it's covered with blood?" Kirito tried to comfort her, but Sinon rejected it. "I hate you, Kirito! I hate you and Marth!"

Neither Kirito nor Marth said anything in response. Instead they stayed silent as Sinon's mental mask broke off and the duo allowed her to use them as a target for her anger. Eventually Sinon calmed down, and they all sat back down. Sinon also laid her head on Kirito's lap.

"I killed someone," Sinon admitted to the SAO Survivors. "About five years ago, in a small town up north, this guy tried to rob a post office. The news said the robber died because his gun went off accidently, but the truth is that I was there. I grabbed his gun and shot him dead."

Marth immediately felt sympathy for the sniper. "How old were you then?" he questioned.

"Eleven years old," Sinon explained. "And ever since then, whenever I see a gun, I start throwing up and pass out. If I see a gun, I see the face of the robber right before he died." She let out a sob. "And then I get so scared… But in this world, I don't have those problems. And that got me thinking, if I became the strongest player in GGO, then I'd be strong IRL too and maybe even forget what I did. But when we were being chased by Death Gun, I was terrified. And just like that, I wasn't 'Sinon' anymore, I was the real me again.

"I'm so scared of dying," she continued. "But what's worse is living with all this fear. It's so painful I'd rather be dead. But I know if I run away from Death Gun and my past, I'll be even weaker than before! I will, I know it."

The Darkness Duo locked eyes and nodded in silent agreement.

"I get it," Kirito said slowly. "We both do, because Marth and I have killed people too."

Sinon looked up at the duo in shock. "What?"

"We mentioned it once about how we knew Death Gun," Kirito explained. "Marth and I fought him once when we were trapped in another game. I'm sure you heard of it. Sword Art Online."

The sniper let out a gasp. "Oh my god. I knew it."

Marth nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, Kirito and I are Survivors of SAO," he said grimly. "And so is Death Gun. Back then, he was a Red Player and part of murder guild called Laughing Coffin. They had to be stopped, so I personally investigated them to find their hideout. Once I did, the Assault Team formed a crusade group we could haul them off to prison. Kirito and I were a part of that crusade."

Kirito let out a deep breath as the memories flooded back into his mind. He grasped his right arm with his other hand and said, "They found out about our plans and they ambushed us. And in the middle of the chaos, I killed four members of Laughing Coffin, while Marth killed five. We just… cut them down. A few months after that, I ended up killing another Laughing Coffin member to protect Marth. And over time, we both managed to force ourselves to forget it ever happened. Till yesterday, when Marth and I ran into the guy calling himself 'Death Gun'."

"And you're both sure that he was a member of Laughing Coffin?" Sinon questioned. "Was he a part of that ambush?"

"Yeah, positive," Marth confirmed. "He was one of the members we sent to prison that day. That's why we have to settle this with Death Gun, no matter what, in _this_ world."

Kirito then recalled clashing swords with Death Gun in Sword Art Online during the crusade. One of the things the Black Swordsman could remember clearly was that Death Gun wore a skull mask with red eyes.


	11. True Strength

"So, Death Gun was a part of Laughing Coffin and you both fought with him in SAO," Sinon said finally before she sat up to face Kirito. She then put her hands on his shoulders. "Kirito, I've got a question for you and Marth. It's about the people you two killed. How did you guys get over it? How are you two so strong that neither of you are controlled by it?"

Neither Kirito or Marth could bring themselves to look the sniper in the eye.

"I haven't gotten over it," Marth confessed, shocking Sinon. "Last night I had nightmares about the five people I killed. I hardly slept at all."

"Same thing happened to me," Kirito added. "I doubt we'll ever be able to forget them now."

Sinon's eyes filled with despair. "But then what am I supposed to do?" she questioned as she held back a sob. "I…"

Kirito placed his hand on top of Sinon's. "It's okay," he said reassuringly. "I think that's probably how it should be. I get it now. There are things I shouldn't forget. What it means to kill, the significance of taking life."

"I was told that by accepting it, then maybe we could find some closure," Marth took over as he folded his arms. "Sure we killed others, but we did it to protect people. What do you think, Kirito?"

The Black Swordsman nodded in agreement. "That's what I was told too. It won't do either of us any good by denying it ever happened."

Sinon was stunned. "Closure… by accepting it," she said slowly. She removed her hands from Kirito's shoulders and laid back down, resting her head in the black-haired swordsman's lap.

"Death Gun," she muttered before speaking up. "It's hard to believe that under that cloak, there's a real person who just wants to kill."

"Yeah," Marth replied. "If Kirito and I could remember the handle Death Gun used in SAO, we'd be able to find his real name and address in the real world. That's why we logged into GGO."

"Maybe Death Gun logged into GGO because he misses the rush of PK-ing?" Sinon suggested.

Kirito shook his head. "No, there's more to it than that," the Black Swordsman said. "He killed XeXeeD and Tarako in front of a bunch of witnesses. It was the same with Pale Rider. He always picks times when he has the biggest audience. And that sign of the cross he makes, I think he does it to freak people out. He wants you to believe he's got the power to kill you from inside the game, but it's all just a show."

"If that's true, then how's he killing people?" Sinon asked.

"It's not because of brain damage from their headgear," Marth answered. "The authorities said that both XeXeeD and Tarako died of heart failure."

Sinon shuddered in disgust. "Heart failure?"

"To be honest, neither of us knows how he killed them either," Marth continued. "But the idea of stopping a player's heart by shooting them in a game is impossible." The Dark Swordsman then realized something. "Hang on. I just remembered something weird."

Kirito looked at his partner curiously and said, "What is it?"

"Back at the city, Death Gun was about to shoot Sinon with his handgun, but he switched to his rifle for us," the Dark Swordsman explained. "But he kills with the handgun. He could've killed us with it, so why'd he switch?"

"Good question," Sinon said.

Marth held his chin as he thought of an answer. "Could it be that he didn't use his handgun because he _couldn't_ use it?" he wondered aloud. "The handgun… not using it… the switch… the invisibility cloak… and even the sign of the cross… Rules." Marth then realized the answer. "That's it. We were right, Kirito. In-game guns can't kill IRL. Shooting them here isn't what does it, it takes preparation."

Sinon looked confused. "Okay, now you lost me," she said. "Care to elaborate?"

"The only way Death Gun can make it look like he's killing people in-game is by setting up the murder in the real world first," Marth answered.

Kirito folded his arms. "But for him to do that, he'd have to get a player's real name and address," he replied. "And those are usually secure." The Black Swordsman realized the only exception to that. "Except when you use the terminals at the Governor's Office. You have to enter your real-life information when you register for BoB. It's in open space so you don't have any privacy."

Sinon shook her head. "That can't be it. You'd notice if someone was lurking behind you. He couldn't have used binoculars or a sniper scope either because he would've been banned from the game for that."

A thought appeared in Kirito's head. "Hold on, maybe Death Gun can use his cloak to turn invisible in towns too. That way he can look over a player's shoulder and they wouldn't notice a thing. But that info's useless to him while he's logged on because he's unconscious in the real world."

Marth noticed a lizard in the corner of his eye. He gasped when he saw that it had two tails. "That's it," he said in realization. "It's not just him! Death Gun has a partner!"

Both Kirito and Sinon were shocked at the news.

"Here's how it works," Marth explained. "One of them plays as the Death Gun avatar. His job is to shoot the target. At the same time in the real world, the second person is in the target's apartment. His job is to take the player out!"

"But how?" Sinon asked as she sat up. "Wouldn't people living with the player notice someone breaking in?"

"As far as XeXeeD and Tarako go, they lived alone in older buildings," Kirito explained. "The electronic locks were probably first-gen, not very secure. Besides, they were both diving into GGO during the break-in, so they were both unconscious and completely helpless. They couldn't hear, so the killer could take their time getting in."

"But you guys just said that the cause of death was heart failure, right?" Sinon argued. "So how'd they manage to stop a player's heart in a way both the cops and the coroner couldn't figure out?"

"Maybe by injecting some kind of drug or something," Kirito guessed. "Since the bodies weren't found after a while, they were pretty decomposed, so any evidence would've been destroyed. Besides, a hardcore gamer can go for days without sleeping or eating. I doubt anyone would think it was weird if any of them died of heart failure."

"They're insane!" Sinon exclaimed. "Why else would they do this?!"

"Maybe," Kirito answered. "Or maybe they do it because Red Players are what they really are. I mean, deep down, I think I'm a swordsman."

"Ditto," Marth added.

Sinon let out a sigh. "When you put it like that, I kind of understand," she said. "There are times where I think I'm a real sniper, not a gamer." Sinon then thought of something. "Wait, is it possible that Death Gun's partner is a Red Player too?"

"No doubt about it," Marth confirmed. "They were probably in Laughing Coffin together. But what still doesn't add up is how they coordinate the killings. How are they so precise with it?"

Kirito was silent for a moment before an idea popped in his head. "I think I might know," he answered. "It's the sign of the cross. He doesn't do it just to scare people, it also gives him a perfect opportunity to get a peek of his watch."

"You're right, Kirito," Sinon said.

The Darkness Duo locked eyes with each other. They both knew that they came to the same conclusion and mentally prepared themselves to tell the blue-haired sniper.

Kirito placed his hands on Sinon's shoulders. "Sinon, do you live alone?" he asked in a serious tone.

The sniper was confused by the question but nodded. "Yeah, but I'm sure I locked my door," she replied. "My building has first-gen locking, but I also have a chain…" She then gasped. "I think I left the chain off tonight."

"Oh man," Marth said slowly before looking the sniper in the eye. "Sinon, you're not gonna like this, but we need you to stay calm and listen." Right outside the cave, the in-game sun finally began to set, casting purple light into the cave.

"When Death Gun was chasing us on that horse, he wasn't aiming at me or Kirito," he continued. "That can only mean that they've got their next victim all set up and ready to go."

"Okay," Sinon said nervously. "So who's next?"

"I have feeling that right now in the real world, Death Gun's partner is in your place," Marth said grimly. "He's watching the livestream and waiting for you to get shot by that gun so he can inject a drug into you to kill you."

Sinon's eyes widened in terror as she pictured Death Gun's partner standing by her bedside, waiting to kill her. "No! No!" she cried out. "No, not that! Oh, God!"

Sinon's heartrate began accelerating to dangerous levels, prompting Kirito to pull her into a tight hug.

"You have to calm down, Sinon!" Kirito said quickly. "If your heartrate goes any higher, your Amusphere will force you to log out. If that happens, then you'll be in danger! Just calm down."

Despite the situation, Sinon was slowly able to relax while in the Black Swordsman's arms.

"As long as Death Gun doesn't shoot you, his partner won't do anything," Kirito assured. "Those are the rules they set for themselves. But if you log out now, he'll kill you regardless, so you have to calm down."

"I'm scared!" Sinon said hastily. "I'm so scared!" She promptly wrapped her arms around Kirito for some form of comfort.

Marth let out a deep breath. "This just got more complicated."

Kirito nodded in agreement. "You said it, partner."

**Meanwhile in ALO**

Asuna had contacted Chrysheight to meet with her and the others to talk at her apartment. They were all waiting for the male Undine to show up.

Yuuki was tapping her foot in impatience. "What's taking him so long?!" she exclaimed. "He should've been here by now!"

Thorrnn sighed in exasperation. "Give it a rest, Yuuki," the green-haired Sylph replied. "Chrysheight did say it would take him a while to get here."

As if on que, Chrysheight entered the apartment. He had long aqua-blue hair and wore a dark blue robe. He also wore glasses with white frames.

"Sorry, guys," Chrysheight said sincerely. "I booked it over here as fast as I could from my last save point. If there was a speed limit in ALO, my license would have gotten suspended."

Asuna, however, did not look to be in a joking mood. She quickly stood up and stormed over to her fellow Undine. "What is going on?!" the Lightning Flash demanded in a bitter tone.

Chrysheight was taken aback by her tone and cleared his throat. "I'd be happy to tell all of you. The only problem is that I don't know where to start."

"Don't even start with that!" Yuuki exclaimed angrily as she also stood up. "You're not getting out of this without giving us some answers!"

"Not to worry, Auntie," Yui declared as she landed on the coffee table. "I know just where to start. On November 9th, in Gun Gale Online, a player calling himself Death Gun fired his weapon at an avatar appearing on a monitor. That same day, in Nakano Ward, the player of that avatar mysteriously died."

Chrysheight found himself in awe of the pixie. "Young lady, that was amazing," he said. "Gathering all that information and connecting it so quickly, you must be quite the researcher. Have you ever thought of a gig in the VR section?"

"Don't you dare change the subject!" Yuuki exclaimed, causing the male Undine to flinch in fear.

"Okay, you win," he said quickly. "I'm not going to stonewall you, promise. Just complimenting her, is all. But she's right though."

"Yo, Chrysheight," Klein said, his tone also sounding irritated. "I hear you're the one who had Kirito and Marth dive into GGO. So let me get this straight, you convinced them to convert over, knowing that a player got shot in-game and died IRL because of it?!"

The government agent raised his hand in defense. "Easy, Klein, I can explain. That's not how the player died."

The samurai was surprised by it. "What? But then how…?"

"It's not because of the Amusphere rig," Chrysheight explained. "No matter what happens to you in-game, it can't hurt you. And it certainly can't stop a player's heart when it's not even connected to it. In fact, I met up with Kirito and Marth the other day and we all agreed that it wasn't possible. There's no way you can kill a person in real life by shooting them in-game."

Klein could only grunt in annoyance and chose to stay quiet.

"Okay," Leafa spoke up. "If what you say is true, then why did you have my brother and Thorrnn's dive into GGO?" She stood up. "You had a hunch that something was wrong… Scratch that… You _knew_ something was wrong! That Death Gun guy's a part of it, and I bet you sent both our brothers to find him."

"Chrysheight," Asuna said fiercely. "We figured it out. Death Gun is and SAO Survivor, just like us. But unlike us, he was a Red Player who was in a guild of killers called Laughing Coffin."

Chrysheight's eyes widened in disbelief. "You sure he was in Laughing Coffin?" he questioned.

Yuuki nodded in confirmation. "Yes," the Absolute Sword said. "But none of us can remember his name, though. Me, Klein, and Asuna met him once when our group went to capture his."

"Um, Yuuki," Lisbeth said nervously. "I have a feeling Chrysheight knows more than he's letting on. No offense, Chrysheight, but all we know is that you work for the government doing something with networks and you play ALO as part of some kind of research you're doing on VRMMOs."

The male Undine adjusted his glasses. "Only for the past year," he answered. "The job I had before was a little… different. I used to be part of the task force for the SAO Incident. But even though we were called a task force, in the end, we were pretty ineffective."

"Chrysheight," Asuna said. "You're obviously well connected. I'm sure with a little digging, you could find out what the real name and address of this Death Gun is. Just make a list of all the handles of all the surviving Laughing Coffin members, then contact their ISPs, ask which one's playing GGO now, and trace their location."

"No, I'm sorry but that's not possible," Chrysheight replied. "The ISPs aren't gonna give out a player's real-life information if all we have to go on is their handles."

"Maybe if we ask GGO's admins, they could help," Silica offered.

"They could, but GGO's admins are in the U.S., so it would be a while before we got an answer," Chrysheight said sadly.

Thorrnn lowered her head in worry. "I know my brother," she said suddenly as she cupped her hands, catching everyone's attention. "And right now, he and Kirito are risking their lives in that game, trying to find out who this Death Gun is." The green-haired Sylph then rose to her feet. "When Frank came home last night, he looked so afraid. It was like he'd seen a ghost. He must've bumped into the guy during the prelims. I bet that's when he realized that someone from Laughing Coffin was in GGO. Someone who figured out how to kill players for real again."

Leafa nodded in agreement. "Kazuto was the same way," the blonde Sylph said. "I've never seen him look so afraid before. There's no doubt in my mind that they both went back to put an end to that nightmare. To find out Death Gun's real name and stop his PK-ing once and for all."

Yuuki gritted her teeth in frustration. _"Damn it, Marth. You should've said something. Why do you always do this?"_

Klein slammed his fist against the counter. "Those damn idiots!" the Salamander cried out. "Why didn't they say anything? I should be there, backing them up, all they had to do was ask and I would've converted over too!"

"We all would've," Celina voiced. "That's why they didn't tell us. If Marth and Kirito thought there was any real danger, there's no way they'd let us get mixed with it. That's just who they are."

Lisbeth nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they've always put others before themselves," the pink-haired Leprechaun replied. "In fact, I bet they're protecting someone else in there, and it's probably someone who doesn't like them that much."

The fairies all turned to the monitor.

"Okay, Chrysheight," Asuna said suddenly. "Where are Kirito and Marth diving from? I know you know so tell us."

Chrysheight nervously looked away from his fellow Undine. "That's… confidential."

Both Asuna and Yuuki stomped their boots on the ground in anger. "Don't make us force it out of you!" the Imp threatened.

The male Undine cringed in fear. "Okay, okay," he said hastily. "I set up the rooms myself, so they're safe. Security's rock-solid and the monitoring is top of the line. I've got trained professionals by their side at all times so there's no danger to their bodies whatsoever."

"Where are they?!" the duo demanded.

"A hospital," Chrysheight said slowly. "It's in Ochanomizu in Chiyoda Ward."

"Chiyoda?" Yuuki questioned. "Isn't that where Marth and Kirito did their rehabilitation?"

"That's right."

Asuna and Yuuki then locked eyes with each other.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Asuna asked.

"Yeah. Let's go see our boyfriends." Yuuki then turned her attention on Chrysheight. "Don't even try to stop us or you'll regret it. Are we clear?"

Chrysheight nodded nervously. "Yeah, crystal."

"Yuuki, since your place is closer to Chiyoda, I'll come to you so we can go together," Asuna said.

The Absolute Sword nodded in agreement. "Okay. I'll see you in a bit."

The two then logged out.

**Back in GGO**

"Please tell me we have a plan," Sinon said after a long silence.

"We're going to take down Death Gun," Kirito said in a serious tone. "Once we do, his real-world partner will stand down and leave your apartment."

"Okay, but he's skilled, Black Star or no Black Star," Sinon replied. "You guys saw how he dodged Hecate's bullet from a hundred meters away. And besides, I can't hide in this cave forever. By now, the other players have probably figured out we're in here. We might as well be sitting ducks. It's only a matter of time before someone tosses a grenade in here."

Marth nodded in agreement. "You're right, Sinon," the silver-haired swordsman said. "We've been a team for this long anyway, we might as well see it to the end."

"Yeah, definitely," Sinon agreed.

Kirito, however, didn't look too sure. "But Sinon, there's still the risk of Death Gun shooting you with that gun," he said in concern.

The blue-haired sniper smirked. "Oh please," she said confidently. "It's just an old school, single-action, sidearm. He can fire it all he wants, but I've got you and Marth. Just deflect his bullets with your swords."

The Black Swordsman found himself smiling back. "Yeah, and we won't let a single one hit you," he replied. "But I still don't like the idea of you being out there. I mean, Death Gun's dangerous and you shouldn't get too close to him."

"Oh, come on!" Sinon retorted.

"Easy, Sinon," Marth spoke up. "He's not saying that he doesn't want to fight alongside you. In fact, you'd be the best person to team up with. But you're a sniper, remember? Isn't the long-range attack your specialty?"

"Oh," the female player said. "I understand."

"All right, here's the plan," Kirito said. "On the next scan, Marth and I will step outside so it picks us up. That way we'll get Death Gun to come to us. He'll probably keep his distance and will want to take us out with his rifle. When he shoots, we'll know where he is, then Sinon can take him out."

Marth folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "Sounds good. But you're forgetting that his rifle has a silencer and we can't see a sniper's first shot. How's Sinon gonna be able to find him so she can shoot him?"

Sinon didn't let that faze her. "Oh, I'll just predict the predictions," she passed off. "You know, like two certain fakers I know…"

"I think we should be quiet now," Kirito said suddenly.

The trio then saw one of the livestream cameras hovering above them.

"Oh crap," the sniper cursed. "We should've been paying more attention."

"Isn't that one of the BoB cameras?" Marth questioned.

"Yep," Sinon confirmed. "Usually they're supposed to shadow players fighting on the battlefield. If this one's in here, then there must not be a lot of us left in the tourney."

"Could it have heard us?" Marth asked nervously, as was Kirito.

"Nah," Sinon continued. "In order for it to pick us up, we'd have to be shouting at the top of our lungs." She then smirked. "Why are you two so nervous? Do you guys have someone at home you don't want seeing this?"

Kirito scratched his head sheepishly. "Uh, shouldn't you be more worried?" he spoke up. "I mean, since Marth and I look like girls, people might think you're, uh… you know."

Sinon then had a slight blush on her face. "I don't care!" she declared. "They can think whatever they want. The guys in this game are dorks. If they think I'm gay, at least they'll stop hitting on me every five seconds."

Marth let out a groan. "Jeez, how much longer are we gonna have to pretend to be girls?" he said in annoyance. "I got asked out so many times, it's not even funny."

"Ditto," Kirito added.

Sinon simply chuckled. "Oh, please. I seem to recall you two deliberately messing with the guys at the Governor's Office. You've both been faking it like champs, so I doubt another hour or two will kill you."

The sniper then noticed the camera disappear. "Finally," she said before checking her watch. "We better get ready. We've got two minutes until the next scan. I'll get ready in here. When you guys get outside, fire up one of your terminals and let me know when our target's close."

The trio then stood up. "Hey, I just realized something," Marth said.

"What is it?" Sinon questioned.

"I was thinking about Death Gun's real handle. The only name you didn't recognize that's still alive is Sterben."

"That must be him then," the sniper replied. "But why would he give himself that name though?"

"If Marth and I manage to get up close and personal, we'll be sure to ask him for you," Kirito said. "All right, let's go Marth."

"Right behind you," the Dark Swordsman said as he and his partner headed for the exit.

"Good luck!" Sinon called back in a hopeful tone, prompting the duo to wave back at her. However, once she finished, she found herself feeling worried about what is to come.


	12. Chasing the Phantom

It was nightfall as Kirito and Marth exited the cave. The Black Swordsman immediately activated his terminal and zoomed out the map as much as possible. Most of the competitors were dead, except Yamikaze, who was in the desert. To absolutely no surprise, Sterben wasn't anywhere on the map.

"Counting both Death Gun and Sinon, there are five players left in GGO," Kirito said before checking the death count. It showed that twenty-three players were eliminated. "Hmm, that's strange. You, me and Yamikaze make the count twenty-six. Sinon and Death Gun increase it to twenty-eight and Pale Rider makes it twenty-nine."

Marth raised an eyebrow. "That means we're short a player. Did Death Gun murder another player _after_ he took out Pale Rider?"

Kirito shook his head as he deactivated his terminal. "No way," he replied. "His partner is at Sinon's place, waiting for his que. He can't be in two places at once. Unless there's something else we're missing."

The Dark Swordsman stared off into the distance. "This just keeps getting better," Marth said sarcastically. "Just what else is Death Gun hiding?"

"Who knows," Kirito said with a shrug. "Anyway, let's get back to Sinon."

The Darkness Duo then reentered the cave and saw that the sniper was ready to go.

"Well, what'd you guys find?" Sinon asked as she set her Hecate next to her.

Kirito leaned against the wall and said, "There's six of us left. You, me, Marth, Yamikaze, Death Gun and some other player who didn't appear on the map. He might be hiding in a cave just like us."

"That's it? Just us five?" Sinon said slowly. "Well, it's been an hour and forty-five minutes already. Considering that the BoB ended in about two hours, this one's right on schedule." She looked out the cave's entrance. "I'm surprised no one's chucked a grenade in here yet."

"We probably have Death Gun to thank for that," Marth replied. "He's probably taking out the competition with that rifle of his while he's looking for us."

"If you're right, Marth, then he's a shoo-in for the Max Kills Award," Sinon said. "Whatever. We need to worry about Yamikaze. You and Kirito were the only ones who appeared on his terminal that are still alive, so he'll be making his way here now."

"Is he any good?" Kirito questioned.

"Considering he was the runner-up in the last BoB, yes," Sinon explained in a scolding manner. "He's a full-on AGI type. They call him the Run-Gun Demon or something."

"Uh, run-gun?"

"Run-and-gun," Sinon said with a scoff. "You shoot while you run. It's a style of combat. His main weapon is a Calico M900A, an ultra-light submachine gun. Yamikaze couldn't compete with XeXeeD's rare gun and armor in the last tourney, but even though he didn't win, some people say Yamikaze is the better player."

Marth let out a groan. "Great. We're going up against the strongest player on GGO's Japan server."

Sinon just rolled her eyes. "Stop complaining," she scolded. "Yamikaze may be our ace in the hole, though. If you and Kirito are right about Death Gun, then I'm the only one he's ready to kill. You know, because his partner is at my apartment right now. I figured if that's the case, then Yamikaze's in no danger of getting killed. This might sound cold, but I was thinking he would make the perfect decoy. When Death Gun shoots Yamikaze, we'll know where he is, allowing us to take him out. In any case, we've got two decoys. Yamikaze in this world, and me in the real one."

Marth couldn't help but smile as he leaned against the wall. "You're pretty brave, Sinon," the silver-haired swordsman said.

"Not even," Sinon passed off. "I'm trying not to think about it. I'm good at avoiding things that scare me. Anyway, do you think it would work?"

Kirito slowly nodded. "Yeah, it sounds pretty good," the Black Swordsman said. "But there's still one thing that bothers me. When I scanned the map just now, I could count twenty-eight players in BoB. Pale Rider's twenty-nine, but we're still short one."

Sinon gasped in shock. "No way. Could Death Gun have killed someone else after he tried for me. How's that even possible? Isn't his partner in my apartment?"

"That's what we thought too, but now I think something else is going on," Kirito explained. "Between the time Death Gun shot Pale Rider and when he tried for you, only thirty minutes had gone by. So based on my theory, Pale Rider's apartment has to be no more than thirty minutes away from yours, Sinon. Kinda convenient, don't you think?"

"I guess," the sniper said slowly. "But what else could it be?"

"It's possible that Death Gun has more than one partner," Kirito said. "If he does, then its possible for him to kill one player while still having one to kill you. And one for Yamikaze. He fits Death Gun's criteria as a top player, so he could be a target too."

Sinon gripped her Hecate tightly. "Oh my God," she said in disbelief. "If you're right, Kirito, just how many of them are out there?"

Marth folded his arms and said, "If they're all ex-Laughing Coffin members, I'd say at least ten or more. I doubt they're all involved in this, but it's too risky to assume that Death Gun only has one accomplice."

"They're crazy!" Sinon exclaimed. "Why else would they do this after getting out of SAO alive?! How could anyone remain a player-killer after that game?"

"For the same reason as us," Kirito replied. "Why do me and Marth keep being swordsmen, and you a sniper?"

Sinon gritted her teeth in anger. "I called them PKers, but I take it back," she retorted. "There are lots of players who PK in this game, heck I used to be part of a PK squad myself. But at the end of the day, PKers have a code of honor they stick to. They're not PKers. They kill people with poison while they're unconscious, like a bunch of cowards. There's no honor in that. We can't let them get away with it!"

Kirito nodded in agreement. "No, we can't," he replied. "This is our chance to stop them and we're gonna take it. Death Gun's going down on this battlefield, and we'll make him and his accomplices pay! This is how Marth and me can make up for what we did. For losing control in the heat of battle and killing those players. This is how we'll get closure."

"Change of plans," Marth spoke up. "We need to take out Yamikaze first, that way he can't be targeted by Death Gun. Normally Kirito and I would split up so we can cover more ground, but I've got a feeling it'll take both of us to defeat Death Gun. Sinon, that means you'll have to be the one to take Yamikaze out. Can you do it?"

"Of course I can," Sinon replied confidently. "I won't let Death Gun kill him. Besides, Yamikaze's tough. I doubt you and Kirito working together could finish him quickly. If that happens, Death Gun could easily kill you two and Yamikaze while you're distracted. Since I'm a sniper, I'll have eyes on you two the entire time. I'll know when they're close, so I can take them out. After I finish off Yamikaze, I'll set my sights on Death Gun."

"Sounds good," Kirito said in acknowledgement before looking outside. "Okay, they should be pretty close by now. Marth and I will take the buggy and head out. Sinon, you leave after us and get set up."

"Roger that," Sinon replied.

Marth smirked. "Alright, let's do this, team," he said while stretching his arm forward.

"Yeah," Kirito and Sinon said together as they placed their hands on top of the Dark Swordsman's. The trio then went to their designated spots with Kirito and Marth out in the field, while Sinon was stationed at a ruined tower.

Sinon was adjusting the specs on her Hecate and could easily spot her teammates in the sand.

_"Yamikaze's coming from the west, so if a shot comes from the east, it'll probably be Death Gun,"_ Sinon thought to herself. _"He's got that cloak so if he shoots, he'll be invisible. If he manages to hit either Kirito or Marth in the head or heart, they're dead. But if Kirito was able to deflect_ my _bullet and Marth could defend himself against Reyn's gattling gun, they can dodge Death Gun's right?_

_"My first priority is taking Yamikaze out of the picture,"_ she continued. _"If I miss, Kirito and Marth will have no choice but to split up so they can fight both opponents, and that's not an option. If Death Gun manages to defeat either of them when they're on their own, he'll find me and kill me. My life, my_ real _life, depends on a single bullet, just like it did that day."_ Sinon's firing hand twitched in anxiety. _"Please, Hecate. I'm weak and I need your strength. The strength to stand up for myself and move on."_

The Darkness Duo looked up into the night sky as they felt the wind blow against them.

"Hey Kirito," Marth said. "Remember how we detected the Laughing Coffin members when they ambushed us? How we sensed their intent to kill?"

The Black Swordsman nodded in acknowledgement. "Of course I do," he replied. "«Hypersense», the most difficult Outside System Skill to develop. It allows one to sense the presence of other players and even detect their literal intent to kill." Kirito let out a deep breath. "Let's do this."

Both players closed their eyes as they blocked out every sound from the system, save for any unnatural sound from players. _"Yamikaze's coming from the southwest,"_ Marth thought as he heard the AGI-player sprinting in the sand. _"Sinon's got him."_

Meanwhile Sinon was amazed at how fast Yamikaze was moving, making it difficult for her to lock on. _"What do I do?"_ she asked herself in frenzy. _"I could try to shoot in front of him or shoot at his feet, hope he panics and then take him out."_ The sniper then calmed herself down. _"No, once he's got Marth and Kirito in range, he'll stop to steady his aim. I have to be patient. Don't worry, Kirito, Marth, I won't let you guys down!"_

The Darkness Duo could hear Yamikaze getting closer but stayed cool. They both had faith in the blue-haired sniper while the wind changed directions.

_"Concentrate,"_ Marth told himself. _"Home in on his drive to kill. Just like last time."_

_"That's right,"_ Kirito thought. _"Marth and I could feel their lust for murder. That's how we noticed them."_ He briefly flashed back to the beginning of the crusade, when one Laughing Coffin member wearing a skull mask attacked him with an estoc. _"The first guy to attack me, what was his name?"_

"Kirito, Marth," the Laughing Coffin member had told them after the battle. "Someday, I'll kill you both properly."

Suddenly both Marth and Kirito sensed a painfully sharp, icy-cold sensation, a Killing Intent. They immediately opened their eyes and quickly looked towards the east. As the duo recalled what the Red Player had told him that day, they then saw a red flash.

Kirito then gasped as he saw a bullet flying straight towards his head from that direction. The Black Swordsman was barely able to dodge it in time, though the bullet did sever some locks of his hair as it breezed past him.

"You okay?" Marth asked his partner in concern.

Kirito slowly nodded. "Yeah, but we found him."

The duo saw that Sterben's bullet had struck an unoccupied tower, which collapsed near Yamikaze, who looked confused on what happened. They then saw a Bullet Line from the east.

"Let's move!" Kirito exclaimed as they activated their photon swords.

The Darkness Duo let out a battle-cry before sprinting towards the east, deflecting any bullets that came their way. Meanwhile Sinon noticed Yamikaze taking cover by the ruined tower and quickly aimed her Hecate at him. The female sniper immediately fired at the AGI user, who could only watch as Sinon's bullet sailed towards him before piercing through his chest, instantly killing him.

"Kirito! Marth!" she cried out as she removed the empty casing in her rifle.

The Dark Swordsman jumped in the air while deflecting one bullet before Kirito deflected another as he landed. Using the direction her teammates were heading, Sinon quickly found Sterben shooting from under a boulder and immediately took aim. However, because she used her first shot on Yamikaze, Sterben was able to see her Bullet Line and redirected his focus on her.

The two snipers fired at each other at the same time, their bullets barely grazing each other as they traveled through the air. Sterben's bullet ended up destroying Sinon's scope, but her bullet managed to destroy his Silent Assassin.

"It's up to you guys now," Sinon said as she removed the bullet casing.

Marth smirked as he noticed that Sterben had stopped firing at them. "Sinon did it!" he exclaimed. "Now it's our turn!"

The Darkness Duo then noticed Sterben exiting his hiding place while drawing some kind of weapon. As soon as they were close to the Red Player, they used «Vorpal Strike», however, Sterben surprised them by moving at an impossible speed and stabbed Kirito in his right shoulder with an estoc. He then saw Marth charging at him and evaded his attack before stabbing the silver-haired swordsman in the same place.

"Kirito! Marth!" Sinon shouted in worry as both swordsmen grunted in pain.

**Meanwhile**

Asuna and Yuuki were in an elevator heading to the floor that Kazuto and Frank were on, with the former being on the phone with Yui.

"Don't worry Mommy, Aunt Yuuki," Yui assured. "No matter how strong their enemy is, Daddy and Uncle Marth won't give up. It's them after all!"

Asuna then noticed the Imp player was tapping her foot in impatience. "Are you okay," she asked in concern.

Yuuki reluctantly nodded. "Yeah. I'm just frustrated that Marth and Kirito kept this from us. Don't they realize they don't have to do these things alone by now?"

Asuna placed her empty hand on Yuuki's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure they do," Asuna replied. "Kirito and Marth just wanted to keep us safe, that's all. However, that doesn't mean they're getting off the hook so easy. I think we need to have a few words with them when they log out."

"Totally."

The elevator door then opened, prompting the duo to hurry to Kazuto's room. As soon as they went inside, they found Kazuto in bed and covered in sweat. He was also panting really hard. There was also a nurse named Aki that was by his side.

"Kirigaya?" Aki said in concern.

"Kirito!" Asuna exclaimed in worry as she hurried to her boyfriend.

Aki turned her head to the girls and said, "You're Asuna and Yuuki correct? We've been expecting you."

"Is something wrong with Ki… I mean Kazuto?" Asuna asked hastily.

"No, he's okay," Aki reassured. "It may look bad, but he's all right. His heart rate just spike, is all."

"His heartrate. But why would…"

Aki then faced Yuuki. "Frank's in the other room if you want to see him."

"Thanks," Yuuki replied. She was about to turn and leave when suddenly…

"Mommy, Aunt Yuuki, look to your right!" Yui spoke up. "There should be a monitor there. I'm going to patch in the live footage from the MMO Stream."

The three women turned towards the monitor where they saw the BoB footage pop up. They all watched as they saw Kirito and Marth standing before Sterben, clutching their injured shoulders.

"No way," Aki said in disbelief. "Those are Kirigaya and Frank's avatars in GGO?"

"So that's why Kirito's heartrate went up," Asuna realized. "He's in battle and I bet Marth's in the same condition as him."

Yuuki then gasped when she saw Sterben's weapon. "An estoc?!" she exclaimed before remembering something. "Hold on. I remember fighting a Laughing Coffin member who used an estoc during the crusade. What was his name?"

"I don't know," Asuna replied. She then noticed Death Gun's handle. "Sterben? Isn't it supposed to be Steven?"

"No, it's not," Aki said gravely. "It's a German word. I know it because we use it as a medical term. It means 'to die'. We use it whenever a patient passes away."

"Oh no," Yuuki said slowly as she felt an overwhelming sense of dread.

"Yuuki, you should go to Marth," Asuna spoke up. "He needs you now more than ever."

The Absolute Sword nodded in acknowledgement. "Okay. Yui, can you patch the livestream in Marth's room for me?"

"Of course, Auntie. It should be up… now."

Yuuki then hurried out the room and entered Frank's room. True to Asuna's intuition, he was in the same condition as Kazuto with Victoria's mother by him. The BoB livestream was playing on the monitor.

"Marth?!" she cried out in fear as she hurried to him. "Mrs. Blackburn, how is he?"

"He's all right," the nurse said. "But I can't say for how much longer. We just have to hope for the best."

Yuuki and Serena turned their focus towards the livestream, helpless to do anything.

**GGO**

"Heh. That's an interesting weapon you've got there," Kirito commented as they stood there while the wind blew from the north. "If I knew there were metal swords in GGO, I would've gotten my hands on one."

"Ditto," Marth said with a smirk.

"Then you should've done your homework before logging in, Darkness Duo," Sterben chided. "I made this with the «Weapon Creation» skill. It can't be any longer or heavier, but it does the trick."

"Wow," Kirito said casually. "If that's the best we can make, then there's no way we could make one we could be happy with."

"So you're both still into swords with high STR requirements?" Sterben remarked. "You two haven't changed at all. It must be difficult for you and Marth to twirl those flashlights around."

Marth let out a chuckle. "This isn't so bad, Sterben," the silver-haired lightswordsman said. "I always wanted to fight with one of these. Besides, a sword's a sword. If we can slash at you and burn through your HP, then it's good enough for us."

Sterben merely laughed in amusement. "You talk a good game, Marth, but that's all it is," he said arrogantly. "You and Kirito have sucked in too much rotten air from the real world. That half-ass «Vorpal Strike» you two just pulled… If the old you saw them, they'd shake their heads."

"Maybe so," Kirito said, unfazed. "But the same goes for you. You're living in the past. I bet you still think you're a member of Laughing Coffin."

Sterben took a glance at his right wrist, where his tattoo was revealed due to the wind blow at his wrappings, before locking eyes with his opponents. "You remember," he said. "I'm impressed. Then I guess you both understand the difference between us. I'm a genuine Red Player, while you and Marth are not." Steam then shot out of his mask. "You both killed because you were scared… scared and desperate to survive. And instead of facing it, I bet you both tried to forget it ever happened, just like a couple of cowards."

Marth gritted his teeth in frustration. "We may be cowards, but Kirito and I will stop you right here," he declared. "We've already figured out how you killed XeXeeD and the others. It's got nothing to do with that handgun of yours, and you don't have any special powers either."

"How'd those people die then?" Sterben questioned intently.

"Back at the terminals at the Governor's Office, you used that cloak of yours to scope out the addresses of the BoB contestants," Marth explained. "Then you had someone break into their apartments and timed so when you fired, they'd inject a drug into them, making it look like they died of heart failure. That's how you did it."

"The Ministry of Internal Affairs has the in-game _and_ real-world info of every single player from SAO," Kirito took over. "Once they get your old handle, they'll find out your real name, your real address, and all the evil shit you've ever done! It's only a matter of time."

"It's all over for you," the Black Swordsman continued. "So log out, and turn yourself in!"

Sterben, however, looked unfazed. "You guys think you've got it all figured out," the Red Player chided. "But you don't. You can't stop me, Darkness Duo. Wanna know why? Because I know neither of you will ever remember what _my_ handle was."

Kirito narrowed his eyes. "What makes you so sure we won't?" he questioned fiercely.

Sterben simply chuckled as his eyes flashed in amusement. "You and Marth don't even remember why you forgot it in the first place," he explained. "Think back… After the battle between the Assault Team and Laughing Coffin, I tried to tell you guys my name. But you _and_ Marth refused to know it. You both claimed there was no point in it, since we'd never see each other again. Guess the joke's on you because look at us now."

The Darkness Duo gasped in shock as they realized Sterben was telling the truth.

"You guys can't remember my handle and you never will," Sterben continued. "I never gave it to you! And now I'm going to cut you two down. I'll leave you lying in the sand and make you two watch as I kill the girl!"

Marth simply smirked. "Are you sure about that?" the Dark Swordsman replied. "It's two of us against one of you. Even you can't take me and Kirito together."

"Is that so?" Sterben questioned. Suddenly a copy of himself appeared by his side, shocking the duo.

"You just had to say that, Marth?" Kirito said sarcastically.

"How was I supposed to know he could do that?!" Marth retorted. "How are you even doing that?"

"It's all thanks to an item called the Duplicator," Sterben explained. "It essentially allows me to create a digital copy of myself, stats and all. Not only does it mirror my movements, but I can even choose its target. Now then, let's get back to the fight."

Both Sterbens charged at the duo with overwhelming speed, with the real Sterben going after Kirito while the clone charged at Marth. The Darkness Duo tried to block their attacks with their photon swords, but soon found themselves stabbed in the stomach. They both grunted in pain as they backed away from their opponents.

"Stings, doesn't it?" Sterben taunted. "This was made using the best metal you can get in the game. It's armor plating from a space battleship."

Marth and Kirito flinched as they braced themselves for Sterben's next attack.

"Kirito, I'll take the clone, you take Sterben," Marth muttered under his breath.

"Okay," Kirito whispered in agreement. "Be careful. I won't be able to help you if you're in trouble."

"Don't worry," Marth assured. "I'll be just fine."

The Darkness Duo then split up to take on their opponents. The Red Players were able to evade their attacks before countering with «Star Splash», delivering rapid thrusts to the lightswordsmen.


	13. The Phantom Bullet

After the Sterbens struck the two players, the latter of which jumped backwards and parried and dodged as many attacks as they could, unfortunately Sterben still managed to land a few hits on them. The Red Players chuckled in amusement as the Darkness Duo struggled to defend themselves.

_"Damn it,"_ Kirito cursed as Sterben nicked his cheek with his estoc. _"He's tough. If I could slow him down, one second's all I need."_

As he tried to block Sterben's attacks, the Black Swordsman briefly glanced in his peripheral and saw that Marth was also struggling to keep up with his opponent. Kirito had to fight the urge to go to his partner's aid before blocking Sterben's downward slash with his photon sword.

"Kirito! Marth!" Sinon cried out in worry. The sniper felt completely helpless as she watched Sterben and his clone overpowering her teammates.

"If only I had my scope," she muttered under her breath. She then recalled her conversation with Kirito and Marth back in the cave. "Right now, Kirito and Marth are trying to get that closure they were talking about. They're confronting their demons from SAO by taking on the person who represents them… Death Gun. And the reason why they can isn't because they're strong, it's because they accept what they did, even though it still tears them up. And they're still trying to move on, despite it."

Sinon gritted her teeth as she balled her right fist tightly. "I've gotta do something," the sniper said. "But what can I do?" She then gasped as she remembered the weakness of the Duplicator and quickly eyed her Hecate.

**In the Real World**

Meanwhile Yuuki and Serena were watching the BoB livestream and saw how Sterben was keeping the Darkness Duo on the defensive.

"Marth," Yuuki said softly as she saw Marth block the clone's boot with the back of his left hand.

The duo then saw that Frank's heartrate was reaching dangerous levels.

"This isn't good," Selena said gravely. "He's sweating so much, he'll dehydrate soon. Is there any way we can warn Frank about this?"

Yuuki shook her head. "We can't," she replied. "The dive blocks everything out, so Marth won't be able to hear us. But the Amusphere was designed with this in mind, so it should shut off if he gets too dehydrated. The only problem is that it'll leave Kirito alone, and that's if he's _not_ suffering the same thing."

"So there's nothing we can do to help Frank?"

The Imp player then thought of a way to support her boyfriend, at least in spirit. Yuuki took Frank's left hand into her own and closed her eyes. _"Don't give up, Marth,"_ she prayed silently. _"I know you and Kirito can beat this guy, whoever he is. Know that I'm right by your side, and I always will be."_

Unbeknownst to her, Asuna was doing the same thing with Kazuto, only she put her phone under his hand so Yui could support him too. _"Hang in there, Kirito, Marth,"_ the Undine player pleaded. _"Fight for what you believe in."_

**GGO**

Marth gritted his teeth as he continued clashing with the clone. _"He's right,"_ Marth thought to himself. _"I didn't want to know his name. I didn't want anything to do with him!"_ The clone knocked the Dark Swordsman's feet out from under him, but Marth quickly recovered and blocked its attack before returning to his feet.

_"But I should've known I wouldn't be rid of him that easily,"_ silver-haired lightswordsman continued as he and Kirito swung their swords down on the Red Players' heads, only to be blocked by their estocs, which were undamaged from the lasers. The Red Players then rolled onto their backs before kicking the Darkness Duo in the gut, sending them rolling into the sand before they quickly rose to their feet.

_"Marth and I never forgot, we only pretended to,"_ Kirito realized as he prepared to engage the next onslaught. _"But we were just kidding ourselves."_

The Darkness Duo noticed that they had moved back-to-back, still facing their opponents. Both Sterbens then breathed out some steam from their masks before charging at the duo once more. Marth and Kirito managed to block the first two thrusts from the Red Players with their photon swords, but the third managed to slip through and was heading straight for their stomachs.

Marth then found himself staring at the clone's glowing eyes. _"Red eyes?"_ he thought. _"Wait a minute. I remember seeing a player with those eyes during my infiltration of Laughing Coffin. I even talked about him during the raid meeting. Then that means he's…"_

"Xaxa," Marth and Kirito said in sync, causing both Sterbens to miss out of shock. "Red-eyed Xaxa! That's your name!"

The two teams then backed away from each other and paused. Suddenly a Bullet Line appeared on the real Sterben's right shoulder.

At the same time, Sinon somehow managed to target the Red Player without her scope. "Kirito! Marth!" she cried out.

Sterben instinctively tried to dodge, prompting the clone to do the same. The Darkness Duo took advantage of the opportunity and charged at their respective opponents.

_"Of course,"_ Marth realized. _"Xaxa said that the clone copies his movements, so Sinon's using her Bullet Line to distract them both at the same time. She's using her fighting spirit to keep it trained on the real Xaxa. It's like a Phantom Bullet!"_

_"One last attack!"_ Kirito shouted in his head. _"We can't waste this chance!"_

Both lightswordsmen let out a battle cry as they prepared to strike. However, Sterben realized that Sinon's Bullet Line was a bluff and chuckled. He then activated his cloak and began to disappear, prompting the clone to do the same. Marth and Kirito grunted in frustration as they tried to grab the Red Players with their left hands to prevent their escape, but both Sterbens kept their distance from the duo.

Suddenly both Marth and Kirito felt a strange warmth in their left hands, causing them to remember their handguns. They quickly drew their FN Five-Sevens from their holsters and began doing an imitation of the two-hit «Dual-Wielding» Sword Skill, «Double Circular». The skill began with the duo jumping in the air, aiming their handguns at their opponents, while having their swords running across their backs. Transparent images of their avatars from SAO dual-wielding also appeared around them before quickly disappearing. Marth and Kirito fired multiple bullets into the Red Players' shoulders, cancelling their cloaking.

Both Sterbens grunted in pain before delivering a few rapid thrusts on the lightswordsmen as they spun towards the ground. However, the Darkness Duo wasn't done yet. As soon as Marth and Kirito had one foot on the ground, they roared as they struck their photon swords against the Red Players' waists, their SAO avatars appearing once more, only with yellow eyes. They then proceeded to cut their opponents in half. The copy shattered into red polygons, while the real one rolled on the ground for a few seconds. His estoc landed in front of him with the hilt sticking up.

Marth and Kirito found themselves rolling in the sand before they managed to stop themselves and got on their knees.

"Did we win?" Marth asked in exhaustion, struggling to control his breathing.

"I think so," Kirito responded as they slowly stood up.

"Fools," Sterben spoke up. "It's not over yet. You guys can't stop me. _He'll_ find you, and he'll…" Sterben didn't get to finish as the system declared him to be dead, his eyes going dark.

Marth flinched in pain before saying, "You're wrong, Xaxa. This _is_ the end! We'll find your partner too. He won't kill anymore. Laughing Coffin's dead!"

"You said it," Kirito agreed. "Let's get back to Sinon."

"All right. Lead the way."

**The real world**

Yuuki found herself overcome with relief as she watched Marth and Kirito put their weapons away and march off. Frank's vitals were also returning to normal.

"There's never a dull moment with you, is there, Marth?" she questioned aloud. "You seem to love making me worry."

**GGO**

Marth and Kirito met up with Sinon halfway, where they all high-fived each other. All the BoB cameras circled around the trio.

"That was awesome, Sinon," Kirito commented. "You managed to trick Sterben into leaving him wide open with your Bullet Line. How'd you know it would work?"

"Well, I remembered that the Duplicator's greatest strength is also its biggest weakness," Sinon explained. "While it does create a clone that mirrors your movements, it can be exploited if you target the user. All I had to do was lock on to the real Sterben and let him do the work for us. Wasn't easy without my scope, but I made do."

Both SAO Survivors were amazed at the sniper. "You really are the best sniper in GGO, Sinon," Marth praised. "I don't think anyone else could do something like that. Thanks again for backing us up."

Sinon simply smiled. "You're welcome."

"Anyway," Kirito spoke up. "I guess we should probably get this tourney over with. Now that Death Gun's out of the picture, I'm pretty sure the guy at your apartment is gone. It might also be a good idea for you to contact the police, just in case."

"Okay," Sinon said slowly. "But what should I tell them?"

"That's a good point," Kirito replied. "I know, the guy Marth and I work for is with the government. We could have him send the cops to you. But how are we gonna get your info? We can't really ask them in here."

"It's cool," Sinon said. "I'll tell you."

The male players were taken aback.

"Are you sure?" Marth questioned.

"Of course," the sniper replied. "Did you guys forget that these cameras can't hear us? Anyway, my real name is Shino Asuda and I live at…" She told the Darkness Duo where her apartment was located.

"No way," Kirito said in disbelief. "You're diving close to where Marth and I are diving."

"Really?" Sinon questioned in amusement. "What are the odds?"

"How about Kirito and I come over after we log out?" Marth offered.

"I'd like that but I'm good. I've got a friend who lives close by so I've got help if I need it," Sinon replied.

"Okay," the Black Swordsman said. "But Marth and I are still gonna send the cops over to you, just in case."

"Alright," the sniper said before narrowing her eyes. "Are you guys gonna log out without telling me _your_ info?"

Both swordsmen laughed sheepishly.

"I guess it's only fair," Marth replied. "My real name is Frank Storm."

"And mine is Kazuto Kirigaya," Kirito added.

Sinon giggled in amusement. "That's where you got 'Kirito' from? Talk about a lack of imagination."

"Like you're one to talk!" Kirito retorted while Marth snickered. "Anyway, we really should wrap things up. Should we have a three-way duel to settle things?"

The sniper examined her teammates and saw them covered with red marks from head to toe. "As cool as that sounds, you and Marth are too banged up to put up much of a fight," Sinon replied. "There's no challenge in beating someone as thrashed as you two. I'll just take you guys on in the next BoB. Now then, let's get this over with."

Marth raised an eyebrow. "How?" he asked in confusion as Sinon reached for something in her pocket. "Unless two of us run out of HP, the tourney won't end."

"I guess you guys didn't hear about the first BoB," Sinon explained. "There were three winners. The player who should've won let his guard down too soon, allowing one of his opponents to give him what we call a 'souvenir grenade'." She then placed a grenade in Kirito's hand and armed it.

Kirito juggled it around like a hot potato, much to his friends' amusement, before the sniper pulled both him and Marth into a hug as the grenade counted down. _"Talk about going out with a bang,"_ Marth thought before the explosion took all three of them out at once.

As soon as the grenade went off, all the players in GGO cheered for the three BoB victors. While the system counted down for Marth to log out, he saw a list of all the contestants, two of which were disconnected, Pale Rider and a player named Garret.

_"Death Gun had two victims,"_ Marth thought. _"That means he has at least two people helping him."_ His thoughts were interrupted when the system logged him out.

Frank opened his eyes in the real world and saw his girlfriend beside him. "Yuuki?" he asked slowly as he sat up before removing his Amusphere. "What are you doing here?"

"Did you really think you could hide the reason you converted over to GGO from me?" Yuuki questioned fiercely, causing the male player to flinch in fear. "How could you not tell me that an ex-Laughing Coffin member was killing people in GGO?! You should've said something! We're a team, remember, so stop keeping secrets from me."

Frank lowered his head in shame. "Okay, I'm sorry, Yuuki," he said.

"Well, I'm glad that's cleared up," said a new voice.

Frank, Yuuki, and Selena turned and saw Asuna and Kazuto by the door, with the latter looking rather pale from the scolding he just got. Selena then disconnected Frank from the heart monitor, allowing him to put his shirt and jacket back on.

Asuna let out an exasperated sigh. "I can't believe you two," she complained as she held her head in her right hand. "I know you guys were solo players back in Aincrad, but even Yuuki knows when to ask for help when she needs it. You guys really need to break those solo habits of yours."

Kazuto scratched his head sheepishly. "We'll try but…" He flinched as Asuna gave him a glare. "I-I mean we will work on it. Promise!"

"Y-yeah!" Frank stuttered.

"Anyway," Yuuki said with a grin. "How about we head over to Marth's place and celebrate your victory in BoB?"

"Sure," Frank said before remembering. "Actually, Yuuki, how about you and Asuna go on ahead. There's something Kazuto and I promised to do."

The Imp player narrowed her eyes. "You're not trying to hide something from us again, are you?"

"N-no," Frank said nervously. "It's just…"

"Give him a break, Yuuki," Asuna interrupted. "I think we more than made our point. Let's head on over and whip something up for our BoB champions."

Both Frank and Kazuto sighed in relief before their girlfriends left. Kazuto then pulled out his phone and called their client. He quickly explained the situation and Kikuoka promised to send the cops to Shino's place.

"Hey Frank," Kazuto voiced after he hung up his phone. "You up for a little detour?"

It took Frank a second to realize what his partner was implying.

**Meanwhile**

Shino had woken up in the real world and found herself alone. She took off her Amusphere, put on her glasses and turned on the lights. Shino investigated her apartment and found no trace of anyone else inside, filling her with relief. Suddenly she heard her doorbell ring, causing her to panic.

"Shino? Are you home?" It was Kyouji behind the door.

The GGO player sighed in relief. "Oh, it's you, Kyouji." Shino unlocked her door to let her friend inside, who had a container of food with him.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your win," Kyouji said as he entered the apartment. "I even brought some pastries."

The duo headed for the living room, but not before Shino locked her door, to eat.

"Anyway, congrats on winning, Shino, I mean Sinon!" Kyouji cheered. "You were so awesome out there! You became the most powerful player in GGO."

Shino giggled in amusement. "Oh please," she passed off. "I tied with Kirito and Marth, it's not much of a victory."

Kyouji narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Those guys," he said bitterly. "I saw that you were in the same cave as them and that you were crying. Did they blackmail you or something?"

Shino shook her head. "No, of course not," she replied. "I was just venting my anger on them, is all. They didn't mean any harm."

The male GGO player didn't look convinced but shrugged it off. "Oh well. Regardless, I knew you would win GGO someday. I mean, you deserve it more than anyone. You showed them all what real strength is. You should be proud."

"Thank you."

Kyouji was silent for a moment before saying, "Uh, Shino! You said for me to wait, remember?" His eyes filled with anticipation.

Shino looked confused. "What are you talking about?" she questioned.

"You told me to wait, and if I did, you'd be mine," Kyouji explained. "Well… I waited for you!"

"Wh-what's gotten into you?" Shino asked nervously, finding herself feeling uncomfortable.

"From now on, I'll always be with you," Kyouji declared. "You don't need Kirito or Marth to protect you, that's my job. I'm going to protect you now, forever."

Shino looked Kyouji in the eyes and found them filled with madness. Kyouji quickly wrapped her into a tight hug with no desire to let go.

"K-Kyouji!" Shino cried out as she tried to force him off her.

"I love you, Shino," Kyouji continued. "You're my… my Shino! My Sinon!"

"Let… go!" Shino shouted before pushing Kyouji away, knocking him to the floor.

He looked at her in shock. "Why'd you push me away like that?" he questioned. "You made a promise. We both did."

Shino's instincts told her she was in danger, but she was too shocked to flee. "K-Kyouji," she stuttered as she backed herself against the wall.

Suddenly Kyouji brought out a syringe from his hoodie and placed it against her side while holding Shino in place. "Don't make any sudden moves, Shino," Kyouji said coldly. "This syringe has a drug in it that'll paralyze your muscles in an instant. Before you know it, your lungs will stop breathing and your heart will stop."

Shino's eyes widened. "Syringe?" The GGO sniper remembered that Kirito and Marth speculated that Death Gun's partners killed people with drugs and managed to connect the dots. "No way. This is crazy. You're the other Death Gun?"

Kyouji sneered. "I'm impressed," he said. "You figured out Death Gun's little secret. It's true. I'm Death Gun's partner. Up until now, before this year's BoB, I was the one controlling Sterben. But today, I insisted that I'd be the one to do the real-world job. I had to be the one to do the deed. I can't let some other guy touch you, even if he is my brother."

"Your brother?" Shino said in shock. "So then the player who belonged in that murder guild in SAO was your older brother?"

"Forget about him," Kyouji ordered. "It's just you and me now, Shino." He moved his arm up Shino's leg, prompting her to grab his right shoulder.

"Stop!" Shino pleaded. "It's not too late! You don't have to do this. You're still going to cram school, right? You said you were gonna be a doctor."

"Doctor," Kyouji muttered before speaking louder. "I don't give a damn about that! Especially with how bad my grades were this year. My parents, everyone at school, they're all idiots! If I could've become the strongest player in GGO, then I'd be happy, but XeXeeD lied about AGI types being the strongest and I fell for it!"

Kyouji's hand with the syringe began shaking as he let out his anger.

"GGO was everything to me," Kyouji continued. "I gave up everything in the real world for it!"

Shino was shocked at the news. "So that's why you killed XeXeeD? Because he lied?"

"That's right," Kyouji answered cynically. "He was the perfect victim. We had to show that Death Gun was the strongest player in GGO… in all the VRMMOs. What better person to sacrifice than him? And now that that's done, I don't need this reality anymore. Let's move on to the next one, Shino."

"Wh-what are you saying?" Shino questioned in fear.

"We can go somewhere like GGO. No, someplace with a fantasy vibe instead. As long as it's with you, I don't care. We'll be reborn as husband and wife and go on so many adventures. It'll be so much fun! Now c'mon, Shino!"

Shino tried to get free but couldn't make much movements with the threat of the syringe that was pressed against her side.

"You're so beautiful," Kyouji said as he stroked Shino's hair. "You're mine and mine alone. I've always loved you, Shino. At school, when I heard about what happened, when I heard what you did… I could look all over the world and never find a girl like you. I mean, you shot a real bad guy with a real gun and killed him! How cool is that?

"I told you, didn't I? That you had real power. When I came up with the Death Gun legend, I picked the Type 54 because of you. That's how much I love you, Shino. I love you more than anything else."

"No," Shino said slowly as she saw the face of the robber instead of Kyouji. Shino then closed her eyes and pushed herself to the deepest part of her mind.

"I don't want to see anything or feel anything anymore," she said slowly as she hugged her knees. "This isn't real. It can't be." Shino then recalled two certain photon sword users and choked back a sob. "Kirito. Marth. You guys went to all that trouble to rescue me, but it was all for nothing."

Shino then remembered how Kirito and Marth wanted to come visit her after BoB.

"If they come over, then they'll be in danger," she realized. "And I can't do anything about it."

"That's not true," said a familiar voice as she felt something touch her shoulder.

Shino looked up and saw none other than Sinon, her avatar, floating beside her.

"Up until now, all we've been doing is looking after ourselves," Sinon explained with a smile. "We certainly never fought for anyone else. But now, even if it might be too late for us, let's go fight for somebody else, just this once."

Sinon offered her hand to her other self, which Shino slowly took.

"Come on, let's go!" Sinon exclaimed as she lifted Shino up.

The GGO sniper returned to reality and opened her eyes. Shino promptly punched Kyouji in the face and knocked the syringe out of his hands. After struggling for a bit, Shino was able to get Kyouji off of her and ran for her door. She quickly unlocked her apartment door but before she could open it, Kyouji, who had pretty much lost the rest of his senses, grabbed her by the legs and pulled her to the ground.

Suddenly the apartment door opened and two figures in black ran into the building. The first one kneed Kyouji in the face, forcing him to let go of Shino.

"Run Sinon!" the second figure cried out as he grabbed Kyouji by the collar and knocked him into the counter.

Shino turned to her rescuers and gasped as she realized who they were. "Kirito! Marth!" she exclaimed.


	14. Moving On

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Kyouji demanded as he struggled against Frank.

"What's it look like?" Frank questioned. "We're protecting our teammate!"

Kyouji's eyes filled with rage. "She's not yours! She's mine!"

Kyouji then pushed Frank away from him, causing the latter's head to hit the counter's edge, putting him in a daze.

"Marth!" Shino cried out in worry.

Kazuto gritted his teeth in anger. "You bastard!" he said. "You'll pay for that!"

Kazuto then forced Kyouji into the living room, while Shino remembered that Kyouji still had the drug with him.

"Kirito, wait!" Shino exclaimed as she hurried after them.

"It's all you and Marth's fault!" Kyouji declared as he pushed Kazuto to the ground. Kyouji wrapped his hands against Kazuto's throat. "She's mine, got it?! Stay away from her!"

Kyouji began punching Kazuto in the face, prompting the latter to shield himself using his arms. Kyouji then sneered and reached for the syringe in his hoodie.

"Hey idiot!" Kyouji then turned before being punched hard in the face by Frank, who had recovered. Kyouji ended up banging his head on his container, causing him to go limp.

"Thanks for the save, Frank," Kazuto huffed out as he sat up.

"No prob," Frank replied before eyeing the unmoving teen. "He's not dead, is he?"

Shino went over to her mad friend and felt his pulse. "He's okay," she said. "Just unconscious." She then turned her attention to Frank. "Are you okay, Marth? That was some blow to the head. No one recovers that quickly."

Frank scratched his head sheepishly. "Yeah, well, I heal fast," he answered. "Besides, I couldn't just lie there when you guys were in trouble."

"Oh please," Kazuto scoffed. "I had the dude right where I wanted him."

"Oh, so you mean you were letting him beat the tar out of you," Frank said sarcastically. "Didn't know you were a masochist, Kazuto."

"Sh-shut up. Anyway, are you okay, Sinon?"

The female GGO player slowly nodded. "Yeah. Thanks to you two coming when you did. You and Marth really come through in a pinch."

"We do that sometimes," Kazuto passed off. "Who is he anyway?"

"Kyouji. He was the friend I mentioned earlier. It turns out he's Death Gun's partner and his younger brother."

Both male teens gasped. "No way," Kazuto said. "We should've gotten here sooner. I'm sorry."

Shino shook her head. "It's all right. All that matters is that you and Marth got here. Thanks for saving me."

"You're welcome," Frank said.

Suddenly the trio heard sirens in the distance. The police soon came and arrested Kyouji.

**Several days later**

Shino was in her school's back courtyard waiting for Endou and her flunkies to show up. After a while, the three bullies finally arrived.

"Next time you want to meet, be on time," Shino reprimanded.

The three bullies were taken aback by her statement.

"Really, Shino," one of the girls chided. "You've been acting way too cocky lately."

"She's right," the other girl agreed. "We should teach you a lesson."

"Nah, it's cool, guys," Endou passed off. "We're all friends, right? It's good to have friends. They come in handy, especially when you meet alone."

Shino narrowed her eyes at the head bully. "What do you want, Endou?" she questioned.

"Oh, just twenty-thousand yen," she replied.

_"I knew it,"_ Shino thought before shocking the others by removing her glasses. "I told you this before, I'm not lending you guys any money."

Endou then smirked. "You'll change your mind after I show you what my brother gave me," she said arrogantly.

"I doubt it."

Endou reached into her purse and pulled out a model gun. Shino immediately felt a surge of panic.

"Get this," Endou said with a confident smirk. "He told me not to point this at anyone, but he doesn't need to know. I mean, you've seen one before, so it doesn't bug you, right? Or does it, Shino? Now get on your knees and say you're sorry."

Both of Endou's flunkies cheered as Shino was unable to move. Endou then tried pulling the trigger but was confused when she couldn't.

"Crap," she cursed. "It's not working." Endou then tried shooting at Shino several times, but the gun refused to fire.

Shino then let out a deep breath and forcefully took the gun from Endou, much to her shock.

"Government issue M1911," Shino said calmly. "Your brother has good taste. It's not really my style. And for future reference, it only fires when the safety's off." To prove her point, Shino disabled the gun's safety.

Both of Endou's goons were speechless. Shino noticed a can on top of a bucket and aimed the gun at it with both hands. She then fired and successfully struck the can, knocking it off its place, before turning her attention to Endou.

"H-hey," Endou started, fear etched in her voice.

"Your brother's right," Shino scolded. "You shouldn't point this at people." She reactivated the safety and gave the model gun back to Endou, who promptly fell to her knees. "See you around."

As soon as she was out of their sight, Shino panted in exhaustion after maintaining her calm after holding a gun. "The first step's always the hardest," she muttered before heading for the school gate, where she saw a small crowd of students had gathered. It turns out they were all looking Kazuto, who was leaning against Frank's car, the latter of whom was inside behind the wheel, much to Shino's chagrin.

"Hey Shino," one of the female students spoke up. "Do you know that guy? Is he your boyfriend?"

Shino didn't answer and walked over to Kazuto. "Seriously?" she questioned. "When I said I'd meet you and Frank, I didn't think you'd park right in front of my school."

Kazuto simply smiled. "Hey, Sinon," he greeted casually. "Ready to go?"

Shino couldn't help but groan. _"This is gonna be a long day."_

**Later**

Frank, Kazuto, and Shino met up with Kikuoka at a café where they could talk about the Death Gun Incident. Kikuoka explained that Kyouji and his older brother, Shoichi, were arrested. It turns out there was a third accomplice involved, named Atsushi Kanamoto, who is currently on the run.

"I hope you guys catch him soon," Frank said. "The less Laughing Coffin members on the streets there are, the better."

"We're doing the best we can," Kikuoka replied. "Anyway, I'll tell you all what we've found out. Apparently, they came up with the Death Gun character when Shoichi acquired an invisibility cloak through a real money transaction. By using the cloak and some binoculars, Shoichi was able to steal the real-life information of players. Meanwhile Kyouji had hit a brick wall with his avatar, Spiegel's, development. Spiegel was an AGI type because XeXeeD boasted that it was the best stat before XeXeeD switched to an STR-VIT build.

"Naturally, Kyouji was angry at the news, so when Shoichi found out, he gave his brother XeXeeD's real life information," Kikuoka continued. "Then they started talking about killing him. Apparently, they weren't serious about it at first, but the more they talked about it, the more they thought they could get away with it. For their plan to work, they needed two things from their father's hospital: a master keycard to disable electronic locks in emergencies and a lethal drug. They researched their victims carefully, only picking those who lived alone in low-security apartments.

"Shoichi used the master keycard to break into XeXeeD's apartment while Kyouji played as the Death Gun avatar, Sterben. The brothers had worked out the exact time he was going to die. As for their second victim, Usushio Tarako, he was killed the same way. But instead of being scared of Death Gun, all the players in GGO thought it was a hoax. Shoichi and his partners were furious, so they decided to kill some players during the BoB final. They found three people who met the criteria as XeXeeD and Tarako: Garrett, Pale Rider, and Sinon."

"But killing three people would be too difficult for just the two of them," Kirito took over.

"Yeah," Kikuoka agreed. "To be in sync with Death Gun, the person doing the real world killing had to be at each targets house at the right time."

"So they recruited that Kanamoto guy you just mentioned to be the third Death Gun, right? Where'd they find him, though?"

"That's simple. Kanamoto and Shoichi were old friends. They were both in Laughing Coffin. Kanamoto's avatar was named Johnny Black. Do you guys know who that is?"

Frank took a sip of his tea. "I do," he said bitterly, catching the others' attention. "He worked with Xaxa and used a poisoned knife as his main weapon. Problem is that he always wore a hood, so I don't know what he looks like IRL."

"Don't blame yourself over it, Marth," Kikuoka passed off. "I'm just surprised that you personally investigated Laughing Coffin to find their base. How'd you manage to do that?"

"A lot of patience and luck," Frank replied. "I always did it alone so that I'd be the only one at risk, but I kept reaching dead ends or got lost in random dungeons whenever I followed other Laughing Coffin members."

"Wasn't there one member you avoided at all costs?" Kazuto questioned. "His name was PoH, right?"

Frank nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, the leader of Laughing Coffin. That guy was seriously bad news. Out of all the Laughing Coffin members, he was the only one who could detect me. He deliberately kept trapping me in dungeons just so I'd stop, but I always got out."

"You've certainly been through a lot, Marth," Shino commented. "I don't know anyone who would go on after all that."

"Guess I'm just stubborn," Frank joked, causing the others to laugh.

"Anyway, back on topic," Kikuoka said. "They put Kanamoto on Pale Rider and Garrett because he lived nearby. Sinon, on the other hand, was Kyouji's. You see, Shoichi was usually the one doing the killing, but Kyouji insisted on being the one to do it for this job."

"Is that what Kyouji wanted?" Shino questioned. "Did he actually say that?"

"No, all this came from Shoichi," Kikuoka answered. "Kyouji still refuses to talk with anyone. Speaking of which, we found out more about Shoichi. Turns out he's been sickly since childhood. His father had pretty much given up on him and decided to have Kyouji inherit the family hospital. Even so, the brothers seemed close growing up. But then Shoichi became obsessed with MMORPGs and in 2022, he was trapped in Sword Art Online."

Both Frank and Kazuto narrowed their eyes at the mention of the death game.

"After Shoichi got out, he only spoke to it to Kyouji. He bragged about how in that world he was a real mass-murderer, and how he was feared. In Kyouji's eyes, his big brother was a hero. As for Shoichi, he keeps claiming that the whole Death Gun plan and the killings were part of a game. That all his actions, from gathering intel and doing the killings was the same in SAO."

"The dark side of VRMMOs," Kazuto said grimly. "His reality ended up getting a lot less real."

"You said it," Frank agreed.

"What about you two?" Kikuoka asked the SAO Survivors. "What is your reality?"

Frank looked out the window. "I feel like I left a part of me behind in SAO and that there's a part of me that's just missing. I don't know why I feel that way, that's just how it is."

"Do you want to go back?" Kikuoka questioned.

"Oh, come on," Frank replied as he faced the agent. "How could you ask me that? I'm through with being in death games."

"Ditto," Kazuto added.

"Um," Shino said suddenly. "You guys are kinda contradicting yourselves from what you told me the other day. You guys said there's no such thing as a virtual world. That wherever you were, that was your reality. Where I am right now, this world is my reality. And even if you told me this was a virtual world, it would still be reality to me. You see what I mean?"

Kazuto let out a sigh. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Well I told you all I know," Kikuoka said. "Do you have any questions?"

"Yes," Shino said. "What's going to happen to Kyouji?"

"He and his brother are being moved to a juvenile medical detention center. I doubt either one has a grasp on reality anymore."

"No, I don't think that's true," Shino replied. "I don't know anything about Shoichi since I never met him, but as for Kyouji, I think Gun Gale Online was his reality. He'd pretty much given up on this world, so he dedicated all of his time in GGO. He would spend hours in it, leveling up and trying to be the best. I guess the stress got to be too much for him."

"From playing a game?" Kikuoka questioned. "I know you can lose track of time, but losing track on reality…"

"Sure, Kyouji just swapped one reality for the other," Shino said. "His real life for his virtual one."

"But why?"

"To get stronger," Frank spoke up. "It's something all VRMMO players want to do."

"Mr. Kikuoka, when Kyouji can have visitors, can you let me know?" Shino requested. "Even though he made an attempt on my life, he's still my friend."

Kikuoka smiled. "I will." He then checked his watch. "I need to get back to the office. You three saved a lot of lives yesterday. Remember that."

"Okay," Kazuto said. "Thanks for meeting with us, Kikuoka."

"It was my pleasure," Kikuoka said before bringing out an envelope. "By the way, Kirito, Marth. Death Gun, or Shoichi Shinkawa, or Red-eyed Xaxa or whatever you guys want to call him, he wanted me to give you this message. If you guys don't want to hear it, say the word and I'll tear it up."

The SAO Survivors locked eyes and nodded to each other.

"Tell us what he had to say," Frank said.

"You got it." Kikuoka opened the envelope and read it aloud. "If you guys think this is over, it isn't. You don't have what it takes to end this. Sooner or later, you'll realize that. It's show time."

Kazuto paused before answering. "Well that's not ominous whatsoever."

"Yeah," Frank agreed.

The group then left the café before parting with Kikuoka.

"Hey Sinon," Frank said suddenly. "Do you have any plans?"

Shino raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "No. Why?"

"There's someone Frank and I want you to meet," Kazuto said as they walked to the former's car.

They entered the vehicle and Frank drove them to Dicey Café. As soon as they walked in, they were greeted by a, "About time you all got here! I was about to go looking for you all, myself!"

"Seriously, Yuuki," Frank chided his girlfriend who was sitting by Asuna at the bar. Andrew was standing behind it, cleaning some mugs. "A little patience wouldn't kill you, you know."

"C'mon, Kirito, Marth," Asuna spoke up. "Aren't you gonna introduce us?"

"Oh, right," Kazuto said. "This is Shino Asuda, aka Sinon, winner of the third Bullet of Bullets. And these are me and Frank's friends from SAO, actually they're both a little more than friends."

"First up is Yuuki Konno," Frank introduced. "She's also known as Yuuki, the Absolute Sword."

"Absolute Sword?" Shino questioned.

"Yep!" Yuuki said with pride. "I'm the strongest swordswoman in ALO."

"Next is Asuna Yuuki," Kazuto took over. "She goes by her first name in ALO too and is nicknamed the Lightning Flash."

"That's only because you and Marth keep calling me that," Asuna replied. "But I can't really think of a different nickname that suits me anyway."

The five teens then sat around a table where they shared some information.

"So that's what Sterben means?" Shino said. "A term hospitals' use for death. What was he thinking, giving his avatar a name like that?"

Asuna formed a small smile. "I wouldn't try to think too hard about it," she said. "Most of the time players give their avatars names they think sounds cool."

"Anyway," Yuuki spoke up. "It's good to meet you, Shino. It's always cool to meet another female VRMMO player."

"You said it," Asuna agreed. "I hope we can be great friends, Shino."

Shino was too stunned for words, prompting the ALO players to lock eyes before nodding in agreement.

"Listen, Shino," Asuna said calmly. "There's another reason why we asked you to come here."

"What is it?" Shino asked nervously.

"Sinon, I'm sorry to put you on the spot like this," Frank said sincerely. "Kazuto and I told Yuuki and Asuna about your past. I'm sorry, but we needed their help."

"I'll explain," Asuna took over. "We want to help you, Shino, so we paid a visit to the town you used to live."

Shino's eyes were filled betrayal. "How could you? Why would you do that?" Shino was about to run out, but Kazuto stopped her by grabbing her sleeve.

"Wait, Sinon," he said calmly. "They found someone who wants to meet you. We can't let you leave until you hear what they have to say. It might hurt, and I'm sorry for that, but I can't stand by if there's a chance that what they say helps."

"Who is this person?" Shino questioned. "What do they want to tell me?"

Frank turned to Yuuki, who had gone over to a door to another room and nodded to her. Yuuki then opened it and let a woman and a young girl in. She proceeded to lead them to the table and had them take a seat, as did Shino.

"Um, do I know you?" Shino asked reluctantly.

"My name is Sachie Oosawa," the woman replied. "This is my daughter, Mizue. She's four years old. I'm not sure if you remember or not, but I used to work at the post office."

Shino's eyes widened in shock.

"I'm sorry for not doing this sooner," Sachie continued, tears leaking from her eyes. "I never apologized or even thanked you for what you did. That day that man tried to rob the post office, I was pregnant with her, you not only saved my life but hers too. Thank you. If it weren't for you, she might never have been born."

"I saved…your daughter?" Shino said in disbelief.

"Sinon," Kazuto said, prompting her to face him. "It's time to let go of the past. I'm not saying it's wrong to beat yourself up for what happened. Frank and I know that feeling all too well. But you need to look at all the lives you saved in the process. You have the right to forgive yourself and move on. That's what we wanted to tell you."

Mizue got up and walked over to Shino. She then got a drawing of herself, her mother and Shino, from her bag and handed it to the GGO player.

"I made it for you. Thank you for saving Mommy," Mizue said with a smile. "And for saving me too."

Shino burst into tears and gave Mizue a smile. Finally, after five years, Shino had let go of her past and move on with her life.


	15. Return to Jotunheim

**December 28th, 2025**

Frank and Kazuto had returned to playing on Alfheim Online. Shino had even created an account for ALO and joined them as a Cait Sith archer. They had also formed a guild with their friends which Klein named, the Alfheim Warriors. Yuuki had also given Asuna a scroll that allowed her to use «Mother's Rosario» as a Christmas present. Right now, Frank was eating breakfast with Meg.

"You were up pretty late last night," Meg said to the Spriggan player. "What were you doing?"

"I was working on a mechatronics project with Kazuto," Frank replied before taking a sip of his milk.

"Mecha-what now?" Meg asked in confusion before reading an article on her tablet. "Hey Frank, you might want to read this." She handed her tablet to her brother.

Frank nearly spat out his drink due to what the article was about. "What the?! The Holy Sword Excalibur and the Radiant Blade Solaris were found in ALO!" Frank exclaimed in shock. "I can't believe someone beat us to them. That sucks."

Meg laughed at her brother's reaction. "Read the rest of the article, doofus. It just says that the swords were found. No one actually has them yet."

Frank took a closer look at the article and saw she was right. "Geez, Meg, you nearly gave me a heart attack," he replied before hearing a knock the front door. He went to open it and saw that it was Kazuto and Suguha, who he let in.

"Did you guys read the article about Excalibur and Solaris yet?" Suguha asked as they all sat down at the table.

Meg nodded. "You just missed my brother having a panic attack," she told the Sylph player. "It was way too funny."

"Kazuto had the exact same reaction," Sugu said as she and her friend laughed. Meanwhile Kazuto and Frank just rolled their eyes.

"Anyway, this is a serious matter," Kazuto said finally. "The article didn't say where Excalibur and Solaris were. The dungeon they're in is too high up too see from the ground and players can't fly in Jotunheim."

"Unless someone else helped one of Tonky's friends and triggered the quest flag," Sugu replied. "If we could do it, other players could."

"I guess that makes sense," Frank said. "But who'd trust such a creepy…" Both Sugu and Meg glared at him, causing to flinch. "I mean such a unique looking monster unless they had a weird taste…" The girls glared even harder at the Spriggan player. "I mean someone like you two. What are the odds?"

"Talk about rude," Meg scoffed. "In case you've forgotten, Frank, if it wasn't for Tonky, we probably would've died back there in Jotunheim." She then sighed. "Whatever. Look, it won't be long before someone manages to clear the dungeon and get the swords."

"Yeah, the clock's ticking," Kazuto agreed.

"So what are we gonna do?" Sugu questioned.

"Well, I feel like there's more to this than getting two rare items. If that's all you play for in MMOs, you're missing out. But I think Tonky wanted to show us those swords. What do you think, Frank?"

"I agree," Frank replied. "There must be a reason why he showed Solaris and Excalibur's location. I think he wants us to clear that dungeon to get the swords and its up to us to make his wish come true." Both Meg and Sugu smiled mischievously. "Tonky's our friend, so there's no way we can turn our back on him."

Frank then noticed the grins on the Sylph players' faces. "Okay, what's with those smirks?"

"Well, a minute ago, you called your friend 'creepy'," Sugu said, causing Frank to flinch.

"I meant creepy cool," Frank defended hastily. "Anyway, how about we assemble the guild and clear the dungeon together?"

"Sounds like a plan," Kazuto agreed. "I know Agil can't help us because he's got work, but the others should be okay. Let's have everyone meet up at Liz and Celina's blacksmith shop in Yggdrasil City."

The others agreed with the plan and contacted the available guild members.

**Later**

Marth, Yuuki, Kirito, Silica, Klein and Sinon were waiting at Liz and Celina's blacksmith shop as the two Leprechauns restored everyone's weapons, minus Lunara since it was unbreakable in ALO. Asuna, Leafa, Yui and Thorrnn were out shopping for potions and gathering information.

"Man, I'm jealous of you, Marth," Yuuki complained. "How come your sword's the only one with infinite durability?"

Marth, who was leaning on the wall alongside Kirito, folded his arms and sighed. "Probably because it's a legendary weapon," Marth replied. "I talked to Eugene about it and it's the same with his Demonic Sword Gram. Sure, I can see how unfair that can be, but it sure is useful."

"Tell me about it," Celina spoke up as she worked on Thorrnn's rapier. "Liz and I can still enhance it and that infinite durability sure makes our jobs easier."

Klein took a sip of his beer and chuckled. "Leave it to Marth to get those most powerful skills in the game," the samurai said enthusiastically. "Speaking of which, hey Marth, do you plan on using Dragon Soul at all during this raid? If you use it from the start, clearing this dungeon will be a breeze!"

The blue-eyed Spriggan grunted nervously, though only Kirito knew why.

"I'd… rather I didn't use it at all," Marth said slowly.

"How come?" Silica questioned as she petted Pina's head. "Isn't that your strongest ability?"

Marth scratched his cheek. "It's… complicated. While Dragon Soul does raise my stats to the highest levels, it's difficult to use. Actually, it's more like I have problems controlling it."

"Huh?" the others, minus Kirito, said in confusion.

"You see, Marth first triggered Dragon Soul by accident when we were in a dungeon with Leafa and Thorrnn," Kirito explained. "We were losing to this boss and Marth activated Dragon Soul to beat it. While Marth was able to kill the boss, he ended up going berserk and started attacking us. We were lucky that we were able to get through to him enough so he could change back. Ever since then, Marth's never liked using Dragon Soul, even as a last resort."

"Well that sucks," Klein said. "But I guess it makes sense that something that powerful would have a massive handicap to compensate. Maybe it just takes practice for you to control it?"

"Who knows," the Dark Swordsman replied. "But I'd rather not risk it when you guys are around me."

"What about Wolf Heart?" Sinon questioned. "Does that form have the same problems?"

Marth shook his head. "No, I can use my wolf form just fine. It's probably because its lot weaker than Dragon Soul and that I have an affinity for wolves. It just sucks that I can't talk while I'm in it."

The Salamander simply shrugged. "Oh well. At least you can use one of them and an expert at lightning magic," the samurai said. "This is still pretty exciting though. This'll be our first big raid as a guild that doesn't involve New Aincrad. Boy am I glad I got the week off." He then eyed his guild leaders. "By the way, Darkness Duo, after we grab Excalibur and Solaris, can we go get the Soul Blade Kagutsuchi?"

"Seriously?" Kirito replied. "That dungeon's hotter than a fricken oven."

"Well I'm going to Jotunheim for you two, and that place is colder than the bottom end of an icicle," Klein retorted.

"I want something too," Sinon requested. "The Shekinah Bow."

Everyone looked at the Cait Sith archer in surprise.

"You only started playing ALO for two weeks and you're already gunning for a legendary weapon?" Marth asked, sounding slightly impressed.

"Well that bow Liz made for me is great, but I just want something with more range."

"Why are you using a bow anyway?" Lisbeth asked as she tested the bowstring. "Their range is the same as magic. You're the only player who wants to use it to snipe from a hundred meters."

Sinon lightly chuckled. "If I had it my way, I'd want to shoot from at least twice that range."

Lisbeth could only give a sheepish smile and went back to work.

Marth smirked. "We'll see. It may not happen today, but we'll get those weapons for you and Sinon soon." The Spriggan then faced the younger Cait Sith. "What about you, Silica?"

Silica thought for a moment. "Well, I've been looking into the Ebon Dagger Eclipse recently. I could use some help with retrieving it."

"All right," Kirito acknowledged. "What about you, Yuuki? Is there a legendary weapon you're gunning for?"

"Let's see," Yuuki said as she thought carefully. "Nothing really comes to mind right now. And I've still got my OSS, «Mother's Rosario». As long as I've got that, I'm good."

"Speaking of Original Sword Skills," Marth spoke up as he eyed his partner. "We really need to recreate «Starburst Stream» and «Eclipse». Dual-wielding just isn't the same without them."

"Tell me about it," the Black Swordsman said. "Just another thing to add to our bucket list."

Suddenly the door and Asuna and the others came in with a few baskets of potions. "Sorry we're late, guys. It took us a little longer to gather information than we thought," Leafa apologized.

"What'd you guys find out?" Yuuki asked curiously.

Yui flew over to her father and sat on his head. "We talked to a whole bunch of people and not one of them knew about that dungeon."

Kirito raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Really?" he questioned. "Then how do they know where Excalibur and Solaris are?"

"That's the thing, Daddy," Yui replied. "No one really knows where they are. Apparently, they found a different quest than the one Tonky showed us. They met an NPC who told them if they finished this quest, they'd get both Excalibur and Solaris as the reward."

Asuna and Leafa sat their baskets of potions on the table. "And from what we gathered, this quest isn't very pleasant," the Undine said. "It's not an escort or a retrieval quest, but a kill quest. All you do is slaughter monsters in Jotunheim. Everyone is going there right now and killing as many monsters as they can."

The Dark Swordsman nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, that doesn't sound even close to being pleasant."

"This whole thing sounds sketchy to me, guys," Klein spoke up. "We know that both Excalibur and Solaris are at the bottom of this dungeon floating in the sky. To get to them, you have to fight your way through a bunch of monsters. But know we have an NPC offering them up as a kill quest reward. That's bizarre."

"Klein's right," Yuuki added. "This doesn't make any sense. The NPC doesn't seem to be taking players to the dungeon, but that's where the swords are. What the heck is going on here?"

Sinon took a few potions and said, "Well, I guess we'll find out once we get there."

"All righty!" Lisbeth called out as she and Celina gathered the guild's weapons. "Your weapons are now fully restored and ready to go!"

"Thanks a bunch, Liz and Celina," Yuuki said as everyone retrieved their weapons, minus Marth who had Lunara strapped to his back.

Everyone then took their helpings of potions and prepared to head out.

"Even if our guild is full of hotness, we're still pretty tough," Klein said confidently as he rested his katana over his shoulders.

Celina then cracked a mischievous smirk. "If you want to switch it up, you could always boost your magic," the brown-haired Leprechaun said.

"Keep dreaming!" Klein scoffed. "A real samurai wouldn't be caught dead using magic. Code of honor. Besides, we've got Marth, Leafa, Thorrnn and Asuna to cover magic."

"Code of honor, huh?" Celina questioned. "Know what samurais are classified in most RPGs? They're both warriors and black magic users."

"Please. I'd rather bust my sword and quit being a samurai than use magic!"

"I don't know, Klein," Silica spoke up. "If I recall correctly, you used a Flame-attribute Sword Skill the other day. You do realize that if you activate it, you are using part magic."

The Salamander reeled back in surprise. "No way! Really?!"

Yui nodded. "Silica is telling the truth. There are six magical attributes for spells and Sword Skills. They are Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Dark and Divine. However, Lightning magic is a sub-group of Wind, which is what Uncle Marth uses for his spells."

Klein slouched in shame. "Fire's magical too, huh?" he said in disappointment.

Celina then smiled in triumph. "So then, ex-samurai, you need any help busting that sword?"

Klein panicked as he gripped his katana tightly, much to the girls' amusement. He then quickly hid behind Kirito and Marth. "Guys, back me up here!" the Salamander said desperately.

Marth and Kirito simply laughed. "Well since you don't chant when using Sword Skills, I guess it's not the same," the Black Swordsman said. "Though Marth has been able to use spells without chanting before."

"Only because of Thorrnn's teaching," Marth corrected. "And I can only do it with the low-level spells. I still have to do the chants for the stronger spells if I want to use them."

Celina just sighed. "I guess I'll let it slide this time," she said, much to Klein's relief.

The Darkness Duo looked over their guildmates in awe. "Marth and I really appreciate you guys helping us at such short notice," Kirito said. "Now then, let's head out!"

"Yeah!" everyone cheered while Pina screeched.

**Later**

Marth and Kirito led their guildmates to the secret route to Jotunheim and began running down the seemingly endless staircase.

"Jeez!" Yuuki groaned in annoyance as they climbed down. "How many steps does this thing have?"

"I know," Thorrnn replied. "Maybe more than the tower dungeon in New Aincrad."

"Stop complaining about it," Marth said. "It's not that bad. The normal route to Jotunheim would involve us going through another dungeon, which would've taken us two hours to clear. This path will get us there in just five minutes. You guys should instead be thanking us for remembering this short cut from the last time we were in Jotunheim."

"Yeah, yeah," Sinon voiced. "It's still a pain in the butt."

Kirito then cracked a mischievous grin. "No, this is." Kirito then pulled on Sinon's tail, causing the Cait Sith archer to yelp in pain.

"Why you!" the blue-haired Cait Sith exclaimed in anger before trying to swipe at the black-eyed Spriggan, who just retreated over to Marth and Klein.

"Dumbass!" Sinon scolded with a slight blush on her face. "Do that again and you'll get a fire arrow in your ass!"

Kirito just chuckled in amusement.

"Brother, you've got balls of steel," Klein commented.

"More like a death sentence," Marth added.

After a few minutes, the group finally arrived in Jotunheim. As the girls admired the landscape below, Klein was shivering like a madman.

"Wow," Yuuki said in awe. "This place is awesome!"

"M-more l-like fr-freezing!" the Salamander stuttered as he tried to stay warm. He then eyed his guild leaders, who seemed unaffected by the chilly atmosphere. "How come you guys aren't cold?"

Kirito just smirked. "Simple, we're wearing black," the Spriggan answered.

Both Leprechauns groaned. "Where have we heard _that_ before?" Lisbeth asked sarcastically.

Asuna giggled. "Don't worry. I've got this." The Undine quickly chanted a freeze-resist spell, nullifying the effects of the cold temperature. "There. That should make our job easier."

"Nice work, Asuna," Marth praised. "Leafa, call Tonky so he can give us a ride."

"Okay," the blonde Sylph replied before whistling very loudly. After a few moments, flying elephant-jellyfish hybrid let out a roar as it appeared before the Alfheim Warriors.

"Gah!" Klein exclaimed in fear.

"Don't worry, Klein," Kirito assured. "He may not look it, but he's a vegetarian."

"Not exactly," Thorrnn said slowly. "When Leafa and I brought him some fish from above-ground, he scarfed it all down in one bite."

Tonky put the end of his trunk on Klein's head, causing the samurai to tense up.

"Wh-what's it doing?" the samurai asked nervously.

Leafa chuckled in amusement. "He just wants you to climb on his back."

"No way in hell!" the Salamander protested. "My grandpa's dying words were don't drive in foreign cars or on flying demon elephants!"

"That wouldn't be the same grandpa whose dried figs we were eating at Dicey's the other day, would it?" Yuuki questioned teasingly as she helped Silica onto Tonky's back before getting on herself.

The other girls also got on the monster's back, though Kirito and Marth were having trouble getting Klein aboard.

"But what if it eats me?!" Klein said in fear.

"Quit being such a baby," Marth chided. "Either get on or we'll leave you behind, and that means no Kagutsuchi for you."

The Salamander sighed in defeat. "You're mean, Marth."

Soon the boys climbed onto Tonky, allowing the monster to take off towards the upside-down ice pyramid where Excalibur and Solaris were in. Some of the Alfheim Warriors were either sitting or standing while Klein gripped tightly to the monster's back.

"Wow," Lisbeth said in awe as she looked down. "I wonder what would happen if you fell down from this height."

"The same thing that happened when a certain duo tried to reach the next floor of Aincrad by climbing the outer pillars," Yuuki replied before eyeing the two Spriggans. "So how about it, Wonder Klutz Duo, care to show everyone?"

The Darkness Duo cringed. "Nah, we'll pass," Kirito said hastily. "But maybe one of our more cat-like members would like to try?"

Both Sinon and Silica immediately shook their heads in protest. "Nope, nope, nope, nope!" they said in sync.

Suddenly Tonky roared before taking a sudden dive, prompting the fairies to grab on tightly to its back. Yuuki, Leafa, and Thorrnn cried out in excitement while the others were screaming for their lives. After reaching a certain height, Tonky stopped descending.

"That was great!" Yuuki exclaimed in joy. "Let's do it again!"

"No way!" practically everyone but Yui, Leafa and Thorrnn cried out.

Leafa then noticed something in the distance. "Hey, guys! Take a look!"

The guild looked to where the blonde Sylph was pointing and saw a large group of players fighting one of Tonky's friends with a four-armed giant. The players weren't even attacking the giant and were instead focusing on the jellyfish.

"Oh, my God," Asuna said in shock. "Did they tame that giant or something?"

"No, something else is going on here," Silica answered. "It's not possible to tame the monsters in Jotunheim, not even if you're a Cait Sith Master Tamer with special equipment."

"So then they're leeching off the monster?" Klein said before realizing. "No wait, they're piggybacking it. They're letting Four Arms do all the heavy lifting and sniping at the jellyfish when they get an opening."

"But is it that easy to control a monster's aggro?" Sinon questioned. "That giant's completely ignoring them."

The Alfheim Warriors watched helplessly as the jellyfish was slain while Tonky then let out a grieving roar. They then watched as the other players followed the giant, both of which did not attack each other.

"Hold on," Yuuki said. "Why aren't they fighting that four-armed guy now?"

Thorrnn then pointed out more fights happening in the distance, with the players teaming up with the giants to kill the beast-type Evil God monsters.

"What the hell is going on here?" Klein questioned.

"I hate to say it, guys, but I think this is that kill quest Asuna told us about," Lisbeth said slowly. "Even though it's just a quest, helping these four-armed freaks murder all of Tonky's friends is wrong."

Suddenly a light shined behind the guild, prompting them to turn towards it as a woman who towered over the fairies appeared from the light. She had long blond hair, blue eyes and a blue dress.

"Greetings, noble fairies," the woman said in a formal tone. "I am Urd, Queen of the Lake. You have bonded with one of my kinsmen and I am grateful for that. I have spoken with my younger sisters and have decided to ask for your help. If you would be so kind, we need you to save our land from the Frost Giants."

"Daddy, that person's an NPC," Yui said as she flew over to her father. "But something's different about her. Her speech pattern doesn't follow the set response routines like other NPCs. Her core programming is connected to the language engine module of the game."

"Are you saying she's some kind of AI?" the Black Swordsman asked.

"Yes, Daddy," the pixie confirmed. "She is."

"In the past, Jotunheim was similar to your Alfheim," Urd explained. "Covered in lush greeneries and beautiful lakes, it basked in the blessings of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. We, the Hill Giants, and the beasts who are our kinfolk, lived in harmony. Far below the splendor of Jotunheim is a land of ice and snow known as Niflheim. Thrymr, king of the Ice Giants, rules that land. He shattered our peace when he cast Excalibur and Solaris, our holy swords, into the Well of Urd, the heart of our land.

"The swords severed the thickest roots of the World Tree. In an instant, Jotunheim lost the blessings it had received from Yggdrasil. The land was instantly covered in ice and the roots retracted to the top of the sky, taking the frozen Well of Urd with it, along with Excalibur and Solaris." She pointed to the giant bottomless pit in the center of the land before the frozen upside-down pyramid in the sky.

"Under Thrymr's command, the Frost Giants marched on Jotunheim and quickly overwhelmed our defenses," Urd continued. "Their fortresses and castles soon blighted our land and scores of my people were captured and imprisoned. Once the Frost Giants had conquered the land, they built Thrymheim, their largest stronghold, in the frozen Well of Urd. During the chaos, my sisters and I escaped to the bottom of a frozen lake. However, we no longer have the power we once had.

"The Frost Giants are not satisfied with their spoils. They wish to annihilate the beasts of this realm. If they succeed, my powers will be extinguished, and Thrymheim will rise to _your_ world, Alfheim."

The fairies were shocked by the news. "H-hold on a second!" Klein said suddenly. "You're saying that once they're done here, they're gonna go up and destroy Arun?!"

Urd nodded in confirmation. "Yes. That is their intention. King Thrymr will seal Alfheim in ice and continue on until he reaches the top of Yggdrasil. Once he reaches it, he will the Golden Apple growing there. However, Thrymr and his generals have grown frustrated by the time it is taking for them to wipe out my kinfolk, so they have turned to your people, the fairies, for assistance in their murderous plot. Your kind hunts our kinfolk to extinction, lured by the offer of Excalibur and Solaris as a reward. However, King Thrymr cannot bestow those swords onto others. For if Excalibur and Solaris ever leave Thrymheim, the blessings of Yggdrasil will return to this land, and that castle will melt like mist upon a meadow."

"B-but," Lisbeth stuttered out. "But kind of quest is it if the reward's a total lie? How's he gonna get away with it?"

"Thrymr will most likely offer Caliburn and Sol, for their appearance are the same as Excalibur and Solaris, only they are much weaker than the true swords."

"But that's cheating!" Yuuki protested. "Shouldn't he have a code of honor or something because he's a king?"

"Unfortunately, cheating and falsehood are Thrymr's most powerful assets," Urd explained. "However, he has made one great mistake. In his eagerness to slaughter my kin, he has sent most of his giants down from Thrymheim to marshal your kind for battle. At this moment, his castle's defenses are weaker than they've ever been."

"Which gives us our opening," Marth realized.

Urd extended her hand and gave a gold amulet with a green jewel in the center to Leafa. "Once the stone in the amulet turns black, it will mean all my kinfolk have been slain and my powers have left me," Urd said. "Good fairies, infiltrate Thrymheim, remove both Excalibur and Solaris from their plinths and save my realm." A Quest Accepted icon appeared above her head, followed by Quest Started in front of the guild leaders. "I am counting on you, good fairies. Farewell." Urd then disappeared into light.

As Tonky flew towards Thrymheim, the party discussed on what they just learned.

"This is a lot more serious than we thought," the Lightning Flash said.

"Can we still call this a quest?" Sinon asked the group. "You heard what that Urd person said. If the creatures in this world are killed off, the giants will invade the surface next."

"Yeah, she did," Yuuki voiced. "But wouldn't the admins be able to stop it with an update or something. I mean, they usually let players know about these things a week in advance."

"That's only if the admins even know this is happening," Kirito replied. "With how busy they are with running ALO, some things might've slipped through the cracks."

"It doesn't matter," Leafa said with certainty as she put the amulet around her neck. "We're doing this for Tonky. Right Kazuto?"

Kirito smirked. "You bet," he replied. "We were already planning on storming the dungeon and grabbing Excalibur and Solaris, anyway. It'll be easier knowing that the castle's defenses are down. Helping out Tonky, that's a bonus." He and Marth then opened through their menus and equipped a blue longsword with a black v-shaped guard and pommel as a secondary weapon.

"Looks like you two are getting serious," Asuna voiced, remembering that the Spriggans haven't dual-wielded for a raid in a while.

Klein then drew his katana from its sheath and held it up. "Alright guys, here we go! Our last big quest of the year! Let's clear this thing and score us a front page on the MMO Tomorrow!"

Everyone joined their weapons together and cheered, with Pina screeching in agreement.

"Don't you worry, Tonky!" Thorrnn reassured the monster. "We'll return your world to the way it was. Just hold on." Tonky roared in appreciation.

Everyone mentally prepared for the fight ahead as they neared the dungeon's entrance.

_"Watch out, Thrymr,"_ Marth thought to himself. _"The Alfheim Warriors are coming for you!"_ Unbeknownst to the others, the spirits of a black wolf and a black dragon appeared behind the Dark Swordsman, both anticipating the fight ahead before disappearing.


	16. Thrymheim, the Frozen Citadel

As the Alfheim Warriors climbed off of Tonky, Kirito noticed that Yui, who was sitting on his shoulder, looked concerned about something. "Is something wrong, Yui?" he asked his daughter.

The pixie flew off of the Spriggan's shoulder and hovered before the party. "I have a feeling there's a lot more at stake here than we think," Yui said inquisitively.

"What do you mean?" Thorrnn questioned.

"I'll explain. While all other VRMMOs originate from the World Seed program, there's a huge difference between them and Alfheim Online. You see, a stripped-down version of the Cardinal System runs the other active VRMMOs, but the one that operates this game is a copy of the full-spec version that ran Sword Art Online."

"Full-spec version?" Marth said in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The original Cardinal System had which could automatically generate quests," Yui explained. "It would log onto the net and search for various legends and folklore. It would then adapt the data of those stories and create an unlimited amount of quests. An example of this would be how Uncle Marth got his Lunara. The quest was created in SAO and was meant for a single person to obtain the sword. As soon as Marth completed the quest with Daddy and the others, the quest was immediately moved to the game's archives and became unobtainable to other players."

Klein gritted his teeth as he recalled the memory. "I remember that quest," the Salamander said. "We would've died if Marth hadn't pulled out Lunara at the last moment and defeated the Demon King Jarrod."

"Jarrod," Marth muttered under his breath, catching Kirito's attention.

"Something wrong, partner?" the Black Swordsman questioned.

The blue-eyed Spriggan shook his head. "No, it's nothing. Anyway, back on topic. Yui, is this quest auto-generated from the Cardinal System too?"

"After seeing how that NPC was acting just now, I have a feeling it is," the pixie answered. "If that is the case here, then no matter what you do, this quest must end the same way the myth does. Just now I ran a quick search through my archives. According to my data and taking into account the Norse mythology ALO is based on, this quest must end in a final war event."

All the fairies felt a sense of unease spread among them.

"The Frost Giants from Jotunheim and Niflheim aren't the only ones who want to attack Arun," the pixie explained. "Below Niflheim is a fiery realm called Muspelheim, where the Flame Giants live. According to the myth, they will attack the World Tree and burn it to the ground."

Thorrnn's eyes widened in shock as she recalled the myth herself. "Ragnarök, the Twilight of the Gods," the green-haired Sylph said in a grave tone.

"No way," Leafa said in disbelief. "I can't believe that this game system would destroy its own maps. It's gotta be a mistake."

Sadly, Yui just shook her head. "I'm sorry, Aunt Leafa, but there's no mistake about it. The Cardinal System has the authority to destroy its own maps if it wants. I know this because the original Cardinal System's last task was destroying Aincrad, the floating castle of Sword Art Online."

Everyone lowered their heads in disbelief.

"No way," Yuuki said in shock.

"Our blacksmith shop will be destroyed," Lisbeth told her partner.

"And we just redecorated it too," Celina added.

"There go my chances of ever meeting my soul mate," Klein muttered to himself.

"Even if this Ragnarök thing does happen and it all deletes, can't the server reset itself from one of the back-ups it's made?" Sinon asked inquisitively.

Yui shook her head. "The system has an auto-back up feature, but those files won't help. They only save player data, not field data, so you can't restore everything."

"This just keeps getting better," Yuuki said grimly, not even trying to be cheerful.

Klein suddenly perked up. "Oh, I got it," he said before opening his menu but was then disappointed. "I don't got it."

"You can say that again," Lisbeth chided.

"Shut up," the Salamander replied. "I was trying to contact a GM to see if they knew about this, but it ain't happening now. It's after hours, support's closed."

"That figures," Marth said. "It's Sunday afternoon right before New Year's."

"Kazuto, Marth, we're running out of time," Leafa spoke up as she showed everyone that the amulet was starting to go dark.

The Darkness Duo then locked eyes and nodded to each other. "We can't waste any more time standing here," Kirito said. "Let's hurry and get to the last level."

"Yeah!" everyone agreed.

**Later**

The Alfheim Warriors were fighting the boss on the second floor, which was a gold minotaur and a black one wielding axes. They had managed to reduce the black minotaur's HP to halfway, but it quickly retreated to the back of the room to recuperate. The gold minotaur swung its axe at Klein, who blocked with his katana, while Leafa, Thorrnn and Yuuki attacked its sides, but were doing minimal damage to it. The monster's high defenses allowed it to stand guard as its teammate started to heal itself.

Sinon quickly fired an arrow at the black minotaur, but the gold one easily caught it with one hand before snapping it in half.

"Damn," Sinon said as the sword users, minus Asuna who was with the archer as a healer.

Kirito and Marth let out a battle cry as they slashed at the gold minotaur's sides, but saw that their attacks barely reduced its nearly full HP.

"Damn it," Kirito cursed.

"It's no good," Yuuki said. "The gold one's defenses are too high. It'll take us forever to beat it with regular attacks."

"This sucks," Klein complained. "Marth, can't you use one of your lightning spells and barbecue this thing?"

The Dark Swordsman sighed in exasperation. "That's hilarious coming from you," the Spriggan chided. "Even if I used any of my spells, it wouldn't matter because the black one has a high resistance to magic and would just block my attack."

"What about Wolf Heart or Dragon Soul?" Celina questioned. "Would they be able to help?"

Marth grunted as he blocked the gold minotaur's axe with a cross-block. "Dragon Soul might be able to beat this thing due to its high stats, but it's too risky," the Dark Swordsman replied as Yuuki used «Vorpal Strike» to force the boss away from her boyfriend. "I could lose control again and attack any one of you, and I won't allow that. As for Wolf Heart, it does physical damage just like my swords, so it's not gonna make much of a difference."

Lisbeth let out a groan. "Great, one of our strongest members can't even use his full power because of stupid reasons," she complained. "Could this get any tougher?"

The gold minotaur grasped its axe with both hands, causing it to glow with yellow light as it activated a Sword Skill, and raised the weapon over its head.

"You just had to ask?" Thorrnn groaned.

"Shockwave attack incoming!" Yui shouted in warning.

The gold minotaur then slammed its axe against the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked all the non-ranged fairies off their feet and brought their HP to the red zone. Asuna quickly casted a healing spell to restore their HP to full.

"Kirito!" the Undine exclaimed as he did a cross-block to stop the minotaur's attack. "At this rate I'll run out of mana in a few minutes."

"'Kay," Kirito said with difficulty as Marth and Yuuki forced the minotaur back with their swords.

Leafa then checked the amulet and gasped. "Kazuto! Marth!" she cried out. "More than two-thirds of this amulet has gone dark. If we die now, we won't have time to start over from the save point."

"Good to know," the black-eyed Spriggan said before eyeing his partner. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

It took the Dark Swordsman to realize what he was implying and nodded. "Yeah," Marth said as he blocked the minotaur's axe with his swords. "Listen up, everyone. There's still one thing we haven't tried yet. If we use Sword Skills that deal elemental damage, we might be able to take this gold bastard out. It'll leave you wide open though." Marth then parried the axe away.

"But we don't have a choice! It's do or die time!" Kirito shouted. "So what do you all say if we focus our attacks and wipe them out?!"

"Hell yeah!" Klein cried out in agreement. "Just say the word and his ass is grass!"

"I was waiting for you guys to say that!" Yuuki said eagerly. "This guy doesn't stand a chance against us now!"

Everyone, minus Asuna, prepared to attack as the minotaur roared in protest.

"Silica, time for your bubble spell," Kirito said.

"Right!" the Cait Sith replied as the gold minotaur prepared to attack again.

Right when the minotaur was about to act, Kirito shouted, "Hit it!"

"Pina, Bubble Breath Attack!" Silica ordered. The feathered dragon let out a stream of bubbles at the gold minotaur, which stunned the boss temporarily.

"Go!" Marth shouted as he and Kirito activated «Howling Octave» with their left/right swords respectfully as they charged at the boss.

Klein and the others, minus Asuna and Sinon, followed suit and activated Sword Skills of their own. The samurai was the first to strike as red flames engulfed his blade as he jumped in the air before striking the boss in the shoulder. Leafa and Celina were next as they unleashed a wind Sword Skill on the boss after the samurai jumped out of the way. Lisbeth used a lightning Sword Skill and struck the minotaur's knee while Silica and Thorrnn activated a water Sword Skill and stabbed its shoulders. Sinon then shot an arrow Sword Skill at minotaur's head.

Yuuki was next as she attacked the boss using a dark-elemental Sword Skill. Finally, Kirito and Marth began their attack as flames engulfed their respective swords. The Darkness Duo began the skill with five high-speed thrusts against the boss's chest before following it up with a downward slash. The Spriggans then jumped in the air as they performed an upward slash before concluding the skill with an overhead slash, striking the boss's middle section. A brief pillar of fire erupted around them before dissipating.

The fairies then noticed that the gold minotaur had lost nearly half of its HP from all their attacks.

"Kirito! Marth!" Klein called out as he and the others were struck by the post-motion delay for using Sword Skills. "We've locked up!"

The dual wielders, who weren't frozen, waited until the flames died before thinking, _"Now!"_

They then activated «Savage Fulcrum» with their other swords and began to attack again, much to everyone's shock. The Darkness Duo howled as they simultaneously struck the monster's waist with a horizontal slash before turning the blades ninety degrees, prompting two blocks of ice to appear on the monster's back before they subsequently exploded. The dual wielders then turned around and concluded the Sword Skill by unleashing a full-powered vertical slash, which removed them from the monster and caused two more ice blocks to appear and explode.

Marth and Kirito grunted as they then activated «Horizontal Square» with their left/right swords respectfully while everyone else, minus Asuna, charged at boss again. The duo turned around and unleashed the skill by performing four high-speed horizontal slashes, causing two glowing squares to briefly appear before disappearing. The Spriggans then rested their right/left swords respectfully on their shoulders as they activated «Vorpal Strike» while their guildmates ran past them, activating other Sword Skills of their own.

Klein sheathed his katana before quickly redrawing it and slashing the boss's waist, causing a fiery explosion as he re-sheathed his katana before retreating. Lisbeth, on the other hand, jumped high in the air and slammed her mace on the boss's head while Silica and Thorrnn stabbed its neck. Leafa and Celina slashed at the minotaur's chest before Sinon got on the boss's shoulders used an ice Sword Skill on the back of its head, causing an explosion of ice before the archer retreated.

"Let's finish this," Marth said.

"Yeah," Kirito agreed before he and Marth ignited their left/right blades with fire and stabbed the monster's chest.

As they pulled out their weapons and all the guild members who used Sword Skills locked up from the delay, Kirito and Marth watched in horror as the gold minotaur had a sliver of HP remaining.

_"No!"_ Marth thought. _"It hung on."_

The guild leaders watched helplessly as the boss raised its axe and prepared to attack. Suddenly Yuuki and Asuna charged at the boss, as they activated «Mother's Rosario» with a howl, purple flames shooting out from their swords. The two swordswomen began their shared Sword Skill by stabbing the minotaur in the chest five times in a straight line from top right to bottom left. They then drew their swords back and did the inverse. Yuuki and Asuna then finished by stabbing right at the intersection of the cross-shape made from the former ten strikes with all their might, taking out the rest of the minotaur's HP. The black minotaur's promptly lit up and rose to its feet. It grabbed its axe and readied to strike the duo with an overhead swing but stopped when its partner shattered into polygons.

"Aw, we killed your pal," Klein taunted as they all freed up from their post-motion delay again. "That's a shame…for you!"

The Alfheim Warriors then easily took out the black minotaur using Sword Skills. They all cheered for their victory and sheathed their weapons.

"Nice save, Yuuki!" Marth praised as he high-fived his girlfriend. "You and Asuna were awesome right there!"

The Imp cracked a big grin. "Well someone had to make sure we pulled through," the Absolute Sword said. "Besides, me and Asuna make a great team."

"We sure do," Asuna agreed. "But I'm still unsure if I should even have your Original Sword Skill, Yuuki."

Yuuki then patted the Undine on the back. "Oh, don't be that way, Asuna. I gave you a copy of my Sword Skill because you deserve it. Marth doesn't really need it because he's trying to recreate his «Dual-Wielding» Sword Skills again. The same goes for Kirito."

"Speaking of which," Klein spoke up before he eyed the Spriggans accusingly. "What the hell was that move you guys just pulled?"

"I don't think you want to know," Kirito tried to pass off.

"Don't give me that kind of crap again!" the samurai replied in annoyance. "That was totally a new skill!"

"It's not really a new skill," Marth answered. "It's an Outside-System Skill called «Skill Connect»."

The Salamander was confused. "«Skill Connect»?"

"Remember the last update," Kirito explained. "You know it brought a bunch of new Sword Skills to ALO, right? Well, even though we got those, we didn't get «Unique Skills» like «Dual-Wielding» or the «Divine Blade»."

"Hang on," Thorrnn spoke up. "Weren't you guys dual-wielding just now?"

"Technically that wasn't dual-wielding, at least in terms of skills," Marth took over. "Kirito and I were actually using «One-Handed Sword» Skills in each hand and alternating between them, which cancels the post-motion delay. If we're lucky, we can keep it going without any lag every three or four times."

Everyone looked at the dual wielders in awe while Asuna and Yuuki were reminded of a similar situation that occurred back in the boss room of Floor 74 in Old Aincrad.

"Anyway, how much time do you think we have left, Leafa?" Kirito asked his sister.

The blonde Sylph checked her amulet and said, "At the pace we're going, I'd say maybe about an hour or so."

Kirito folded his arms as he processed the information. "Really, that's it?" The Black Swordsman eyed his daughter. "Yui, do you know how big these last couple of floors are gonna be?"

"Yes," the pixie replied. "The third floor is about seventy percent of the second, and the fourth floor is pretty much just the Boss Room."

"I think it'll take us thirty minutes to defeat the Last Boss," Marth spoke up. "That means we have that same amount of time to get to his room."

"You heard the Dark Swordsman," Lisbeth said. "The clock's ticking and the King of Giants is waiting. Let's hurry up and go kick his giant ass!" She then accidently pushed the blue-eyed Spriggan off his feet, causing him to hit the ground flat on his back.

"You all right, Marth?" Yuuki asked her boyfriend in concern.

Marth simply smirked and stood back up. "Yeah. Alright guys, let's get our HP and MP back up to full and take on the third floor!"

"Yeah!" everyone exclaimed with Pina also letting out a screech.

**Later**

The Alfheim Warriors were fighting the third-floor boss, which was a humanoid centipede of sorts. Yuuki had just severed one of its remaining legs by using a Sword Skill, rendering it nearly immobile. The boss screeched in rage and attempted to strike the Imp during her post motion delay with its naginata, but Marth switched to his wolf form and used his increased agility to tackle the boss to the ground.

"Thanks for the save," Yuuki said with a smile.

Marth simply barked back in acknowledgement before getting into a fighting stance as the boss picked itself back up. Silica then severed its last leg, allowing Kirito to finish it off with «Howling Octave».

"C'mon guys!" Kirito exclaimed as Marth changed back into his Spriggan form. "The last boss is waiting!"

The Alfheim Warriors hurried down the stairs to the next floor. They then hurried down an icy hallway when they saw a woman trapped in an ice cage.

She looked at the fairies desperately and said, "Please help me. Let me out of here."

Klein was immediately smitten with her and carelessly walked over to help until Kirito stopped him by grabbing the back of the Salamander's bandana. "It's a trap," the Spriggan said.

"Definitely a trap," Marth added.

"A trap," Lisbeth and Celina said together.

"It's so a trap," Sinon repeated.

"Maybe it is," Klein replied hopefully, "maybe it isn't."

"What do you think, Yui?" Kirito asked his daughter, who was sitting on his head.

"She's an NPC," the pixie said. "Her core programming is connected to the Language Engine Module, just like Urd. Although, there is one difference between them. This NPC has an HP gauge."

The fairies used their Searching skill and saw that Yui was right.

"Well that's a big red flag if I ever saw one," Yuuki spoke up. "If she's got an HP gauge, we might have to fight her. While I'm always down for a good fight, we're kinda pressed for time."

"A trap," the Lightning Flash said.

"Totally a trap," Silica added.

"Obviously a trap," Leafa and Thorrnn said in sync.

Klein, however, looked conflicted on what to do.

"It might be a trap, or it might not. I don't know," the Dark Swordsman told the samurai as he placed his hand on the latter's shoulder. "But we can't afford to take the chance. We can't waste any more time. We have to get to Thrymr's room."

The Salamander snapped out of his daze and eyed the Spriggan. "Yeah," he said reluctantly. "We've got a job to do."

The fairies began running past the cage as the NPC said, "Please, do not leave me! I beg you!"

Klein then stopped in his tracks, prompting his guildmates to do the same.

"I know it's a trap," the samurai said slowly, his head hanging low. "I'm not stupid. But even if it is a trap… even if I know it's a trap… I don't care! I can't just turn my back on someone when they need help! Even if… even if it means we failed the quest, and if Arun gets destroyed, if I got the chance to do some good for someone I will! Because that's what being a samurai's all about!"

The Salamander then ran back to the cage, ignoring his friends' protests. Klein then drew his katana and destroyed the cage by slashing the icicle bars.

"I'm free," the NPC said as Klein knelt in front of her. "Thank you, Fairy Swordsman."

Klein extended a hand towards the woman. "No worries. Let me help you get back up."

The NPC shook her head and said, "Thank you, but I can manage." She tried to stand up, but quickly collapsed. Klein was quickly able to catch her before she hit the ground.

"The way out's kinda far, babe. Are you gonna be okay finding your way out of here?"

"I could, but I'm afraid I cannot leave the castle just yet," the woman said reluctantly. "For you see, I must first retrieve my people's treasure which King Thrymr stole. If you would, Fairy Swordsman, please let me accompany you to Thrymr's room."

"This is beyond fishy," Asuna whispered to her guild leaders. "It can't be a coincidence that we met an NPC who wants to go to the final boss room here."

Before either of the leaders could respond, Klein asked, "Hey Kirito, Marth, can she come with us?"

The Darkness Duo locked eyes with each other and wordlessly agreed before facing Klein. "All right, neither of us can stand seeing you beg," Marth replied. "Since we've only got a little further to go and since we don't know for sure that it's a trap or not, then I guess it's okay."

While Klein proclaimed the good news to the NPC woman, Celina told her guild leaders, "It's funny how the two of you can agree on certain decisions just by making eye contact. You guys are almost like brothers."

Kirito lightly chuckled as he hit the "Accept" button to let the NPC, whose name was revealed to be Freyja, join the party. "Yeah, Marth and I get that a lot. This Freyja NPC must be a mage because her MP's really high." The Spriggan then looked at Leafa's amulet, which only had a couple green spots left. "Okay, the last boss room is ahead. Remember, since he's the final boss in this dungeon, he'll have multiple HP bars and his attack patterns will change when his HP hits yellow or red."

"We'll need to stay on the defensive and listen to Yui until we figure out his attack patterns," Marth took over explaining. "When you strike the boss, hit fast and hit hard." He smirked confidently. "This is it, everyone. Let's finish this quest!"

Everyone cheered before continuing down the hallway and reaching a giant double door made of ice. As soon as the party approached it, the doors opened and revealed a large dark room. Asuna then refreshed everyone's buffs before Freyja surprised everyone by using a spell to boost everyone's max HP.

"No way! I didn't think it was possible for spells to increase a player's maximum hit points," Silica said in shock.

"No fair!" Yuuki complained. "How come NPCs get all the cool stuff?!"

"Focus, Yuuki," Kirito lightly scolded the Imp.

The party then entered the boss room and found that it was filled with treasure and gold.

"Whoa," Thorrnn said in awe.

"That's an understatement," Celina replied. "I wonder how much Yuld is here."

"I'd say there's enough to buy maybe ten castles on prime land," Lisbeth theorized before a loud stomping was heard at the other side of the room.

"Who let the flies in?" a deep voice echoed across the room. "The buzzing of their wings is so irritating." The voice hummed in thought. "I shall crush them all before they annoy me any further."

The fairies were shocked as a thirty-foot man slowly approached them. He had blue skin, hair and eyes and wore a white turban, a blue cape and fingerless gloves, blue boots as well as a golden crown.

_"This must be Thrymr,"_ Marth thought in disbelief.

Thrymr chuckled in amusement. "Winged insects, have you burrowed down here under the whims of Urd?" the giant questioned in an arrogant tone. "Wretches. How dare you enter here. Did you think you could steal my treasure? If you can tell me where I can find that woman, I will give it all to you gladly."

Klein scoffed. "You think a samurai gives a damn about gold?!" the Salamander retorted. "Well you can stick that treasure right up your ass! In fact, I'll even give you a hand!"

All the fairies drew their weapons, minus Asuna who was on heal duty, and readied for combat.

Thrymr simply chuckled before his eyes turned towards the NPC mage. "Lady Freyja," he said enthusiastically. "How good of you to grace us with your presence. I see you have left your cage. Shall I take it that you have come to your senses and agreed to become my wife?"

"Wait, Freyja's supposed to marry you?" Marth questioned.

"Indeed," the Frost Giant King confirmed. "That is why she came to this castle, isn't that right, my dear? However, the night before our wedding banquet, I caught her sniffing around my treasure vault. As punishment, I locked her in a cage of ice."

Leafa then gave her brother a nudge on his shoulder. "Hey Kazuto, I know this story," the Sylph said. "Thrymr and Freyja, a stolen treasure, and something else I can't remember."

"Gee, that's helpful," Kirito deadpanned with Marth nodding in agreement.

"I will not become your wife!" Freya exclaimed in protest. "These fairy warriors and I have come to end your reign of evil. Return my treasure to me immediately!?"

Thrymr sneered as he rubbed his chin. "Yes, that's the spirit, my lovely. I shouldn't expect any less from a woman whose beauty and valor are known throughout the land. And as they say, the more noble the flower, the more satisfying it is to pluck it. Once I snuff the life out of these fairies, I shall shower you with extra affection." The King of Giants let out a cynical laugh.

"You bastard! Over my dead body!" Klein shouted at the top of his lungs. "I, Lord Klein, won't let you lay a finger on Lady Freya!"

It took all of Marth's willpower to not face palm. "Seriously Klein? You do know there aren't titles like that in Alfheim right?"

Thrymr, however, looked unfazed from the samurai's declaration. "Listen to the angry little fly buzzing away," he said arrogantly. "Now then, it is time I celebrate in my conquest of Jotunheim by crushing the life from you."

The room quickly lit up and Thrymr was revealed to have three HP bars.

"Finally," Kirito muttered before saying, "This is it, everyone! Listen to Yui and don't attack until she says so!"

"Right!" The other players all acknowledged as Thrymr readied a punch at the fairies.


	17. Excalibur and Solaris

When Thrymr punched at the fairies, they managed to push it back with their weapons and remove a chunk of the boss's first HP bar.

"Watch out!" Yui warned, who was by her mother's side. "Two punches incoming!"

True to Yui's word, Thrymr first punched at the offense fairies, who all jumped and dodged it, before following it up by punching Kirito into the floor. Leafa didn't have time to call out to her brother as she jumped back and narrowly avoided from being stomped on by the giant. Sinon let loose a barrage of fire arrows on Thrymr's head as Klein and Yuuki activated a Sword Skill and struck the back of the boss's shoulder. Leafa and Thorrnn both activated a Sword Skill and struck the giant's legs together.

Marth and Kirito then charged at the boss and slashed at his legs with their dual swords together before Thrymr jumped in the air.

"His Ice Breath is next!" Yui shouted.

Thrymr let out a blast of ice at the fairies, who all dodged it. Marth then fired out a lightning blast from Lunara, slightly damaging the boss before Freyja followed up by unleashing a powerful lightning spell, which summoned a bolt of purple lightning that struck Thrymr from above, electrocuting him and reducing his first HP bar to the red zone as well as knocking him down.

"Whoa," Yuuki said in awe. "Freyja's really strong."

Marth simply nodded in agreement. "That spell is stronger than what I can currently use."

"That doesn't matter right now," Kirito added. "Let's attack again!"

Leafa and Thorrnn jumped in the air and swung their swords through the giant's head. Lisbeth and Celina followed it up by striking his feet while Klein and Silica attacked his shoulders. Kirito and Marth then formed an x-shape on the giant's left shin as they ran their swords through it before moving to the side to allow Yuuki to strike as well. Thrymr's first HP bar was reduced to zero from the attacks, prompting him to roar in rage as he rose to his feet.

"His attack patterns are changing!" Yuuki shouted.

"Stay sharp, everyone!" Kirito cried out.

Leafa looked at her amulet. "Oh no. Kazuto, Marth, there's only three small clear spots left!" the Sylph said in worry. "Can't you two use that «Skill Connect» thing from before?"

The dual-wielders turned towards the boss. "Thrymr still has two full bars of HP," Kirito replied. "I doubt «Skill Connect» would make a dent in it."

"What about Dragon Soul?" Thorrnn questioned, causing her brother to hesitate. "I know you don't like using it, Marth, but it might be our only chance to win now."

The Dark Swordsman gritted his teeth as he gripped his swords tightly. "But…"

Thrymr started to take a deep breath, which was like a tornado trying to suck the fairies up.

"Watch out!" Kirito exclaimed in warning as the fairies braced themselves. "Ice Breath coming up!"

Thrymr then unleashed his breath attack, which was much stronger and bigger than the last one. The fairies couldn't dodge the attack and were forced to try and hold it out. The frost resistance buff held on for a few seconds before shattering from the intense cold.

"Not good," Leafa said in worry. "Now what…"

Soon the fairies, except Sinon and Asuna were encased in ice. Thrymr then stomped his foot on the ground, which created a shockwave that shattered the ice, but also inflicted major damage to the melee fairies. They were all knocked off their feet from the impact as well. The fairies struggled to get up as their HP was reduced to the red zone. Asuna gasped in shock before using a healing spell to restore her critically wounded guild mates to half health. Thrymr then prepared to stomp on them.

"Get out of there!?" Asuna pleaded.

Before Thrymr could proceed, a volley of fire arrows struck him in the face. He subsequently changed his focus to Sinon and charged at her.

"Sinon! Keep him distracted for a few!" Kirito ordered before drinking a health potion alongside everyone else.

"Roger that," the Cait Sith archer replied simply.

Thrymr slammed his palm towards Sinon, but she jumped upward and kicked him right in the nose. Lisbeth, Silica, Yuuki and Celina went to aid the female archer, while the others tried to catch their breath.

"This isn't looking too good," Klein said. "I don't think we can survive another hit like that."

Thorrnn nodded in agreement. "There has to be something we can do to turn this around."

"Swordsmen," Freya said as she appeared in front of the dual-wielders. "If we continue this course of action, we will not defeat Thrymr. There is only one hope left. Somewhere in this room, you will find the treasure of my people."

"We're on it," Kirito replied as Klein rejoined the fray. "Just tell us what it looks like and we'll get it for you."

"It is about this big, and it is a hammer made of gold."

"Wait. A hammer?" Marth asked hesitantly. Something about this felt familiar to the Spriggan, but he couldn't figure out what.

Meanwhile Sinon was doing her best to not get squashed as her guildmates, besides the dual-wielders and their siblings, attacked from the sides.

"Hurry up back there!?" Sinon shouted at her leaders.

Marth grunted reluctantly and eyed his partner. "Kirito, you go find this treasure's Freyja's talking about," the Dark Swordsman said. "I'll try to buy you some time."

Kirito gasped as he realized what his fellow Spriggan was intending to do. "Marth, no!" he exclaimed. "It's too risky!"

"We don't have a choice," Marth replied. "Now go!"

The Black Swordsman gritted his teeth before he led Freyja and the Sylphs to the treasure pile. Meanwhile Marth turned towards the Frost Giant King and summoned a dark aura around him. Black scales began appearing on the Spriggan's body as he grew larger and his eyes became golden. A set of leathery wings sprouted from his back as well as a tail. Horns protruded from Marth's head as his limbs became claws. Marth then let out a roar as his transformation into a dragon completed.

Both Thrymr and the other fairies were shocked at the sight.

"Impossible," the boss said in disbelief. "That dragon…"

Yuuki found herself filled with worry as she eyed her boyfriend. "Marth," she said softly.

Marth could instantly feel the heavy strain of trying to maintain control of his dragon form before charging at Thrymr. The black dragon rammed his head into the giant's chest. Thrymr then countered by wrapping his arms around Marth's neck and slammed him into the wall. The dragon simply growled as he glared at the boss.

"Don't give in, Marth!" Asuna pleaded desperately as she watched the two beings fight. While Marth seemed to be maintaining control of his Dragon Soul, the Undine knew that it wouldn't last.

_"Good thing Marth told me about this in advance,"_ the Lightning Flash thought. _"I have to start chanting_ that _spell, so it'll be ready to go when Marth goes berserk."_

"Everyone, I need to start chanting a spell!" Asuna exclaimed. "You'll be on your own for healing for a bit!"

"Okay," Lisbeth replied. "But you mind telling us what this spell is?"

Asuna didn't answer and began chanting a highly advanced spell.

"I guess that's a no," Celina said.

Klein and the others simply watched as Thrymr punched the dragon, who retaliated by slashing his claws into him.

"I don't see what the big deal is," the samurai said. "Marth seems to be doing just fine to me."

Suddenly, Yuuki noticed Marth's gold eyes become purple. "Oh no," the Absolute Sword said in fear.

Marth then unleashed a feral roar as black energy surrounded his body. The black dragon then switched his focus from Thrymr and began attacking the fairies.

"What's gotten into Marth?!" Silica asked in fear as she struggled to not get crushed by his claws.

"He's gone berserk!" Yuuki shouted in warning. "Everyone, get back!"

Thrymr was confused at the dragon's change of action but chose not to question it. Instead, he and Marth began attacking the fairies together.

Sinon gritted her teeth as she fired an ice arrow at the dragon's side, but it barely even scratched the scales. "Damn it," she cursed under her breath. "That thing's stats are too damn high!"

Marth lunged his teeth at Klein, who was barely able to block it with his katana. "Asuna!" the Salamander exclaimed. "Whatever you're gonna do, do it now!"

Luckily for the Salamander, the Lightning Flash had finished chanting her spell and was ready to unleash it. "Don't worry, Marth," Asuna promised. "I've got your back. «Lost In Thoughts All Alone»!"

Suddenly a watery veil surrounded both Asuna and Marth. The black dragon roared in defiance before he stopped moving as the veil completely engulfed him. When the watery veil parted, it showed that the dragon then changed back into the familiar Spriggan, who kneeling on the ground with exhaustion.

"Thanks… Asuna," Marth panted.

"You're welcome," the Undine replied.

Thrymr looked ready to stomp on the downed Spriggan when suddenly yellow lightning shot out from across the room.

**Meanwhile**

Kirito, Leafa, and Thorrnn were looking through the treasure while Freyja watched. The green-haired Sylph occasionally glanced over her shoulder in worry as her brother fought Thrymr.

Thorrnn then felt a nudge on her shoulder, which was none other than Leafa. "Don't worry, Thorrnn," the blonde Sylph assured. "He'll be just fine. Asuna will make sure of that."

Thorrnn slowly smiled as she recalled helping the Undine search for a certain spell for just such an occasion.

"This'll take forever!" Kirito exclaimed in irritation. "We don't have time to search this whole hoard! There's got to be a way to speed this up."

Leafa then had an idea. "Kazuto, try using a lightning Sword Skill to find it," she suggested.

The Spriggan eyed his sister in confusion. "Lightning, really?" He shrugged. "Well it's worth a shot." Kirito then drew his swords back flipped off of a shield in the pile and activated a lightning Sword Skill with his right sword while midair. Once he hit the ground, Kirito ran the ends of his swords into the ground and let purple lightning surge through the pile of treasure. Suddenly a flash of purple appeared under the pile.

The trio then heard a feral roar echo in the air. They didn't need to look to know what happened.

"We need to hurry," Thorrnn said hastily.

"I know, I know," Kirito replied before hurrying to the source of the flash and found the hammer under the treasure. He grabbed the hammer's pommel with one hand and tried to lift it but couldn't because it was incredibly heavy. The Spriggan barely managed to pick up the hammer by using both hands and threw it towards the Freyja. "Freyja, catch!"

Freyja effortlessly caught the hammer with one hand and was then surrounded with yellow lightning.

"Freyja!" Klein called out in worry as he saw the NPC emitting lightning before he dodged Thrymr's foot.

Meanwhile Yuuki helped her boyfriend get back on his feet while they all watched Freyja nervously.

"It flows into me," Freyja said in a trance.

"Huh?" Kirito questioned.

"What the hell is going on?" Yuuki asked.

"Good… question," Marth said slowly.

"Through me… it overflows," Freyja said before she changed into a giant man with long blond hair and metal armor. The hammer also became the perfect size for its wielder. The man then turned towards Thrymr as all the fairies' jaws dropped.

"She's a freaking dude?!" the boys shouted in disbelief, though Klein looked more devastated. Freyja's name then changed to one that the all the fairies recognized.

"No way. That's Thor, the God of Thunder," Marth said before Thor roared loudly, prompting Thrymr to turn towards him.

"You despicable giant!" Thor said in anger. "Your treachery and deceit has come to an end! And now you will pay for stealing Mjolnir!" Thor swung his hammer at Thrymr, who blocked it with an ice axe he created to fight the god, before they both punched each other in the faces.

"I shall make you pay for deceiving me, you miserable excuse of a god!" Thrymr retorted. "I shall rip that beard from your face and send your body back to Asgard!"

Thrymr then began engaging Thor in single combat, completely ignoring the fairies.

"Thor's pulling aggro from Thrymr," Sinon realized. "We should attack while we can."

"Yeah," Asuna agreed as she summoned her rapier to join the fight.

The Alfheim Warriors then charged at the Frost Giant.

"Here we go, everyone!" Kirito shouted. "Hit him hard! Use all your Sword Skills!"

"Freyja!" Klein cried out in agony before activating a fire Sword Skill and striking Thrymr in the back while Marth unleashed «Heavenward Tempest», stunning the giant in place.

Asuna unleashed Star Splash and struck Thrymr's ankle. Lisbeth and Celina then activated a lightning Sword Skill and attacked the giant's left foot together while Silica used a water Sword Skill straight down his back, forcing him to his knees.

"Now!" Marth shouted as he and Yuuki charged at the boss together.

The fairies all unleashed multiple Sword Skills and spells, reducing the boss's final HP bar to half.

"Return to your abyss, King of the Giants!?" Thor shouted as he struck Mjolnir against the giant's head, reducing the latter's HP to zero.

As his body turned to ice, Thrymr said, "Revel in your victory insects, but take heed. If you put your faith in the dogs of Aesir…" He was interrupted as Thor crushed the giant's body under his boot, destroying him.

The God of Thunder then turned his attention to the Alfheim Warriors. "You have my gratitude, brave fairy warriors," Thor said. "Thanks to you, my treasure has been reclaimed and my disgrace avenged. Now then, I must reward you." A fairy-sized replica of Mjolnir appeared before Klein, which he caught with both hands. "That is Mjolnir, the Lightning Hammer. Use it in noble battle."

Thor then eyed the Dark Swordsman. "Marth, Swordsman of Darkness, you have impressed me with your command over lightning," the god declared. "With enough time, you will control even the heavens themselves. Know that whenever you are in a storm, you will have my blessing. And take this as well."

Thor then sent a small orb of purple lightning to Marth, which quickly merged with him. Marth then got a notification that he had unlocked many new spells for both Wind and Lightning. "Wow," Marth said in awe. "Thank you."

"You are very welcome. Now then, farewell, my champions!" Thor then disappeared in a flash of light, removing himself from the party and the HP buff from the players.

Kirito patted Klein on the back. "Congrats dude. You've got a Legendary Weapon."

The samurai didn't look too thrilled though. "Yeah, but it's a freaking hammer," Klein replied. "I don't have any «Hammer» skills! It's not fair. How come Marth gets a bunch of new spells while I got a weapon that I can't even use?!"

"Who knows, but I'm not complaining," Marth said as he eagerly scrolled through his spell list. "I'm so gonna try these out once we get out of here."

Suddenly the room started shaking.

"Th-the room's moving!?" Sinon said in shock. "Is it starting to ascend?" The ground then settled down.

Leafa then checked her amulet and gasped when she saw it only had a tiny green spot left. "Oh no, Kazuto, I don't think this quest is over yet." she said hastily as she showed it to her brother. "Most of the medallion has gone dark save for that one clear spot. There's something else we have to do."

Marth's eyes widened as he recalled what Urd told them. "Hold on, Urd asked us to retrieve Excalibur and Solaris from their plinths, so maybe the quest won't end until we get them."

"Daddy! Uncle Marth! A stairway leading down has appeared behind the throne!" Yui exclaimed as the others were already at the entrance to the staircase.

The Darkness Duo made eye contact. "Let's finish this quest," Kirito told his partner.

"Yeah," Marth agreed.

The guild then ran down the stairs and reached the small clear room where both Excalibur and Solaris were in. The Darkness Duo examined the respective blades in awe.

"Long time no see, Excalibur," Kirito commented, remembering the time when he summoned the sword during the fight with Sugou. "Let's do this, Marth."

Kirito and Marth grabbed the hilts of Excalibur and Solaris respectfully with both hands but struggled to pull them free. Suddenly Marth felt electricity course through his body, as if trying to force him away from the Radiant Blade.

_"It's just like with Lunara,"_ Marth thought as he struggled to maintain his grip while also trying to pull Solaris out. _"But I'm not giving up here."_

Unbeknownst to him and the other fairies, Lunara's blade began glowing while in its scabbard, its darkness somehow canceling Solaris's light.

"Come on you two! You can do it!" Asuna cheered.

"Don't you guys dare call it quits!" Yuuki exclaimed.

"Put your backs into it!" Sinon told her ex-GGO partners.

"Pull harder!" Lisbeth and Celina said in sync.

"Don't give up Daddy, Uncle Marth!" Yui pleaded.

"I know you two can do it!" Silica encouraged.

"Keep pulling, you guys!" Klein exclaimed.

"Go, Kazuto!" Leafa exclaimed.

"C'mon Brother!" Thorrnn cheered. "I believe in you!"

Kirito and Marth groaned as they pulled on the golden swords. Cracks started to form on the pedestals and light shone through the ice. The Spriggans then successfully pulled the legendary swords free and fell flat on their butts from the momentum. Suddenly large tree roots started to sprout upwards from the plinths and destroyed the staircase, removing the only way out. The clear window ice shattered as well.

"Daddy, Uncle Marth, Thrymheim is collapsing," Yui warned. "We need to leave now!"

"I know. I know," Kirito replied before facing his partner. "You got any ideas?"

"If you mean if I have any plans where we actually survive this, then no," Marth said slowly.

"What about Dragon Soul? Could that get us out of here?"

"Maybe, if it wasn't still recharging from my last use of it. Dragon Soul has a thirty-minute cooldown after it's used, so I can't use it in rapid succession. And even if I could use it, there's no guarantee that I could even control it long enough for us to get away."

Suddenly the pillar holding the platform the fairies were on broke, causing it, and the fairies, to fall down towards the abyss. Everyone laid low on the floor and screamed in fear as the platform fell.

Kirito looked down and saw the rapidly approaching abyss. "We're so dead," the Spriggan said as he tightened his grip on Excalibur. "Leafa, how much time do we have left?"

The blonde Sylph checked her amulet. "We…we made it," she said in relief before hugging her brother. "Thank God! We made it!"

Thorrnn then hugged her own brother and said, "I'm so glad we succeeded."

During the hugs, Kirito and Marth tried adding Excalibur and Solaris to their inventories but the system refused to comply. _"It looks like we can't claim the swords until the quest is over,"_ Marth thought before he and Kirito sighed in disappointment.

Suddenly Thorrnn and Leafa perked up.

"Did you guys hear that?" the green-haired Sylph questioned. Everyone then heard a familiar roar and saw a certain winged elephant-jellyfish flying towards them.

"Tonky!" Thorrnn and Leafa exclaimed in joy.

"We're saved!" Yuuki cried out in relief.

"Hurry guys," Klein said hastily, "let's get on his back."

As soon as Tonky was close enough, all the girls jumped on his back. The guild leaders were waiting for Klein to jump on before they did.

"We're running out of time," Marth told the Salamander.

"Y-yeah, I know." Klein looked down. "Why does it have to be so high up?"

"Go on. Jump!" Kirito said as he pushed the samurai off the platform, however the Salamander missed the monster by a few feet.

Klein screamed as he fell before Tonky caught him with his trunk. "Thanks, Tonky," the Salamander told the monster. "You saved my bacon."

Yuuki then burst out laughing. "That was hilarious, Klein! Do it again!"

"NOT ON YOUR LIFE!"

Everyone else couldn't help but laugh at the samurai's reaction, even though they knew Yuuki was just teasing. Meanwhile, Marth and Kirito were struggling to deal with the combined weight of both their swords and the legendary ones they pulled out.

"I guess Excalibur's still too heavy for me," Kirito said before sighing. "Stupid Cardinal System."

"I'll say so," Marth agreed. "There's no way we can jump while holding onto these."

The duo then threw the golden blades away towards the abyss before jumping onto Tonky's back. The Spriggans both stared down in sorrow as they watched the Legendary Swords fall into the void below.

Suddenly Sinon knocked two arrows on her bow. "That's about two hundred meters," the Cait Sith archer mused. Sinon aimed directly below the falling swords and chanted a «Retrieval Arrow» spell before firing her arrows.

"You've got to be kidding?!" the Darkness Duo said in disbelief.

The arrows hit their marks and Sinon managed to pull the swords back up. She then caught both swords with both hands, and nearly dropped them instantly.

"Whoa… heavy," the archer commented.

"Si-Si-Si-Sinon, that was awesome!" everyone but the guild leaders said in shock.

Both Kirito and Marth stared at the archer, wide-eyed.

"Don't look at me like that," Sinon told the Spriggans. "You guys can have them."

"Thanks, you're the best," Kirito said as he and Marth reached out to take the swords, but Sinon moved them out of the fairies' reach.

"I'll let you have them on one condition," Sinon said before giving Excalibur and Solaris to their rightful owners and smiled playfully. "Every time you draw them, you both have to think about me, okay?"

The duo turned to the rest of the girls and saw them glare disapprovingly.

"Well, well, well," Klein said smugly. "Looks like the chick-magnets have another girl…" The samurai was interrupted when both Kirito and Marth kicked him in the face simultaneously.

The Spriggans then cleared their throats. "Okay, I'll think about you every time I draw Solaris," Marth told the archer.

"And I'll do the same with Excalibur," Kirito added. "Thanks a bunch, Sinon."

"You're more than welcome," Sinon said with a playful wink.

As Tonky flew away from the abyss, the Alfheim Warriors watched the rest of Thrymheim collapse and fall towards the giant hole.

"This sucks," Yuuki said in disappointment. "We only got to do one quest in there and now it's gone forever."

Silica nodded. "Yeah, it feels like such a waste."

When chunks of Thrymheim reached the abyss, a gigantic torrent of water shot out like a geyser, filling it completely. The sky cleared, allowing the sun to shine and melt away all the snow. The roots of the World Tree went straight to the lake and spread across it while sprouting smaller trees. A city then appeared on the lake, connected to the roots of the World Tree.

"Finally, no more freezing adventures for me!" Klein cheered as heat returned to Jotunheim.

The others just laughed at the Salamander's comment.

Tonky let a cheerful as he saw all of his kind down on the ground. All the players on the ground dropped their weapons and stared in both awe and confusion at Tonky and his passengers. Both Leafa and Thorrnn smiled as they rubbed the monster's back.

"We're happy too," Leafa said.

"Look, Tonky, all your friends are waving at you," Thorrnn added. "You're a popular guy."

Suddenly Urd appeared before the guild. "You've managed to remove Excalibur and Solaris from their plinths. The quest has been completed," she said with joy. "Now that the holy swords are secure, Jotunheim can return to its former glory. It's all thanks to you, noble fairies. My younger sisters would also like to express their gratitude towards you."

As soon as she finished, a woman appeared at her right. "My name is Verdandi," she said. "Thank you, oh brave and noble fairies. To think I can gaze upon a green Jotunheim once more. It's like a dream."

Another woman appeared on Urd's left, causing Klein to widen his eyes in surprise. "And my name is Skuld," she said. "You have my thanks and respect." Skuld and Verdandi then gave the fairies item rewards for completing the quest.

"My gift shall be Excalibur and Solaris," Urd said.

The legendary swords disappeared from the Darkness Duo's hands but quickly appeared as bonus items for them.

"Yes," the duo muttered in joy.

"Thank you, noble fairies," the three sisters said in sync. "Until we meet again." The players then got a notification saying that the quest has been cleared.

The three AIs started to fly away before Klein said, "Um… Excuse me, Lady Skuld, but can I get your number?"

The other fairies groaned at the Salamander's antics but were surprised that Skuld showered the samurai in glitter before rejoining her sisters.

Lisbeth cracked a small smile. "Right now, Klein, I respect you more than ever. You can be a dork sometimes, but you've got plenty of heart."

"Yeah, Klein's certainly one of a kind," Yuuki commented.

"Definitely," Asuna agreed.

The guild then took a picture with the legendary weapons before Klein gave Mjolnir to Lisbeth, since she was the only one in the guild who could use it properly. They all then returned to the real world and celebrated their victory at Dicey Café. They sat at a big table filled with food and drinks. Kazuto and Frank had installed special cameras to allow Yui to be present during the celebration too, which was their mechatronics project. Andrew was also there, though mainly because of work.

"Congrats everyone," Kazuto cheered as he held his glass of soda up. "We got the legendary weapons Mjolnir, Excalibur and Solaris. What a great way to end 2025."

"Agreed," Frank added. "Now we need to start planning on getting the other legendary weapons."

Everyone laughed before they started to chow down.

"I'm kind of curious why they called it 'Excalibur' in ALO," Shino said suddenly.

Kazuto eyed the Cait Sith player curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well, usually in the fantasy novels and comics I've read, it's always been called 'Caliburn' not 'Excalibur'."

"Oh," Kazuto said. "I don't know why."

"No way," Meg said in surprise. "I didn't know you read fantasy books."

Shino gave a light smile. "When I was in middle school, I practically grew up in the library," she admitted. "I spent most of my time reading books about King Arthur and every one of them referred the sword as 'Caliburn'."

"Come to think of it," Yuuki spoke up. "Didn't the sword go by a lot of different names from those stories?"

"Depending on which Celtic language," Shino explained. "But the word 'caliber' is cool because that's what you call the diameter of a gun barrel." She then glanced at Kazuto. "And it's also how you describe the quality of a person's character."

"And I've read that Solaris was one of the weapons used by a legendary hero who fought in some war of light and shadow," Victoria added. "The outcome wasn't entirely clear, especially with the hero's fate and name, but it shows that whoever wields it and its twin has to be a good person."

"Wow, that's cool," Suguha said.

"So basically what you and Shino are saying is that the people who own Excalibur and Solaris have to be exceptional people, right?" Rika said with a mischievous smirk.

"Are you talking about Kirito and Marth?" Ayano asked in confusion.

"Who else, I bet they're so generous they wouldn't think twice about paying for dinner with that crazy amount of money they made," Rika said smugly.

Both Kazuto and Frank jumped back in surprise as all eyes moved on them. They quickly realized that they were trapped in this situation and reluctantly stood up.

"W-well, we were gonna save it as a surprise but yeah, this meal's on us," Kazuto said nervously.

"Eat as much as you like everyone," Frank added with a nervous smile.

Everyone gave their gratitude and teasingly said they'd eat away all of the duo's money. Frank then pulled Kazuto to the side so they could talk in private.

"Should we use Solaris and Excalibur as our secondary weapons, or should we only use them for emergencies?" Frank questioned.

Kazuto folded his arms as he thought for a moment. "After hearing what Shino and Victoria said, it would make sense to only use them for emergencies," he said. "But swords are meant to be used. Plus, I've got a feeling we'll be needing them in the near future."

"I feel the same way," Frank agreed. "We might want to step it up and recreate «Starburst Stream» and «Eclipse» too, just in case."

"Yeah."

The duo then went to rejoin the others and helped themselves to the food.


	18. Starburst Stream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This is next arc is a crossover between my Dark Swordsman series and my Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Bonds story, the name of the arc being the Temporal Island arc. However, I am currently writing a reboot of Bonds called Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Connections. The crossover arc in this story is not canon anymore. The one in Connections (when I get to it anyway) will be the canon version).

**January 6th, 2026**

Marth, Kirito, Yuuki, and Asuna, along with Yui, were in a port town for a casual quest that rewarded a rare item. The Spriggans had their new Legendary Weapons equipped as their secondary weapons, even though they still hadn't recreated enough of their «Dual-Wielding» Sword Skills for them to be comfortable with using them.

The quest they were on required them to go underwater to salvage a chest from a ship that sunk off the coast. Both Spriggans knew that bringing Asuna was mandatory since Undines were the only race who could use the water-breathing spell and excelled in underwater combat due to their water affinity. Yuuki, on the other hand, tagged along because she was bored and wanted some excitement.

The four fairies flew over the ocean until they arrived at the coordinates where the ship was located.

"All right, guys," Asuna said as they hovered. "I'm about to cast the water-breathing spell. Remember, underwater combat is different for you guys because your attack speed will be slower. I won't have that problem myself because of my race, but you should still be careful."

Kirito nodded in acknowledgement. "Okay. Here's what we'll do. Marth, Yuuki and I will play forward. Asuna, you're on support, but feel free to jump in if you want to. And Marth, don't use any of your lightning spells. I'd rather not get electrocuted."

The blue-eyed Spriggan simply smirked. "Relax. I'm well aware that water conducts electricity, even in the virtual world. I wasn't planning on using magic for this quest anyway. The most I'll use is just Sword Skills."

"Well, are we going or not?" Yuuki asked impatiently.

The other fairies chuckled. Asuna then casted her water-breathing spell on herself and her party members. They then dove head-first into the water, their wings disappearing as they reached a certain depth.

"Man, I'm glad you chose to be an Undine, Asuna," Marth said as they continued swimming down. "We wouldn't be able to do this quest if you had chosen another race."

Asuna giggled in amusement. "I'm sure you and Kirito would've found another way around it," the Lightning Flash replied. "You always do after all. Plus, there's always Chrysheight."

"I guess that's true."

It took the fairies a while to reach the ocean floor, where they found the wreckage of a ship. Once their feet touched the bottom, they began walking to the ship.

"Warn us if any monsters are close to us, Yui," Kirito ordered the pixie, who was in his coat pocket.

"You got it, Daddy," Yui said with enthusiasm.

The party then entered the sunken ship and looked around for a chest, which wasn't easy because the room they were in had dozens of crates and barrels in it.

"What did the NPC say the chest looked like again?" Yuuki questioned.

"Something about it being the size of a jewelry box and that it had a tree symbol on it," Asuna replied.

Kirito moved one of the crates aside and groaned when he saw that nothing was behind it. "This'll take forever," he said in annoyance. "There's got to be a way to speed this up."

Yuuki then remembered something. "Hold on, Kirito, you and Marth are both Spriggans. Isn't treasure hunting one of their specialties?"

The Darkness Duo went wide-eyed as they realized the Imp was right.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Kirito said. The Black Swordsman then chanted a treasure-tracker spell, allowing him to detect the chest's location. "This way." The other fairies followed Kirito to the back of the storeroom, where they found a single crate.

"It must be in there," Marth guessed. "I'll open it."

The Dark Swordsman drew Lunara and promptly slashed the top of the crate, causing it to float away. Marth then retrieved the contents that was inside, which was the chest they were looking for.

"Well that was easy," Yuuki commented. "I was hoping for a little more excitement than this."

Suddenly Yui poked her head out of her father's coat. "Daddy, something's coming!" she exclaimed in warning.

As if on que, the ship began shaking violently, nearly causing the fairies to lose their balance. Some of the crates and barrels nearly crashed into Yuuki had she not destroyed them with her sword.

"We have to get out of here!" the Absolute Sword cried out.

Asuna spotted a hole in the ceiling that was big enough for them to fit in. "Through there! Hurry!"

The Undine quickly swam through the hole with her friends close behind. As soon as they were out of the ship, the fairies found themselves face to face with a giant serpent.

"That explains the shaking," Marth commented as he pocketed the chest inside his coat so that he wouldn't lose it. "It must be a boss for this quest. We'll have to beat it if we want to leave."

The fairies then drew their swords, except Yuuki because she already had hers out, and prepared for battle. The serpent screeched at the party before charging at them, prompting the fairies to scatter in order to avoid it.

The serpent then went after Kirito with its open maw, causing the Spriggan to repel it by using «Vertical» with Excalibur. "I take it back," Kirito said. "I'm glad that I chose to not use Excalibur for _only_ emergencies!"

"Really Kirito?" Marth slightly scolded as he held the serpent back with his twin swords. "You're bringing this up _now_?!"

The serpent then struck the Dark Swordsman with its tail, sending him careening into the ship's deck.

"Marth!" Yuuki shouted in worry before glaring at the boss. "You're dead!" The Absolute Sword charged at the serpent and drove her sword into its neck, causing the monster to screech in pain.

Asuna then activated a Sword Skill and attacked the serpent, allowing Yuuki to retreat. "Switch with me, Kirito!" Asuna exclaimed.

"Okay!" Kirito replied as he swam at the boss and unleashed «Horizontal Square» with his right sword, damaging the monster. "Finish it, Marth!"

Marth, who had managed to recover, nodded and charged at the boss and finished it off by unleashing «Savage Fulcrum» with Lunara.

"Well that was fun," Yuuki said cheerfully as they sheathed their weapons.

Kirito simply shrugged. "Actually, I thought it was easier than I thought it would be," the Spriggan admitted.

"Well you and Marth are using Legendary Weapons," Asuna reasoned. "I'm pretty sure those swords would make any fight easy."

Kirito scratched his cheek sheepishly. "That's a good point."

"Whatever the case, we got what we came here for," Marth spoke up. "Let's head back to town and finish this quest."

The party then swam back to the water's surface.

**Later**

After a long flight, Marth and the others arrived back in the port town where they got the quest from. They found the quest-giver by the docks and landed behind him.

"Have you succeeded in acquiring my chest?" the NPC asked.

"We did," Marth said as he brought out the chest and offered it to the NPC.

The NPC smiled as he took the chest from the Spriggan. "When I heard that the Titanic had sunk with all its cargo, I feared that I would never see this again. I cannot thank you enough for finding it, kind adventurers."

"It was our pleasure," Kirito replied.

The party then got a "Quest Cleared" notification and the rewards they got from it. Since they had some free time the party decided to wander around town for a bit.

"This town sure is lively," Yuuki commented as she noticed the various NPCs and players wandering around the marketplace. "We should come here more often."

Asuna nodded in agreement. "Definitely," the Undine said. "If we hadn't already established our headquarters in Yggdrasil City, I think this would've made a good location."

"If you like living by the water," Kirito commented. He then noticed Marth's strange silence as he was scrolling through his item list. "Something wrong, Marth?"

"I don't think so," the Dark Swordsman replied slowly as he materialized the item he got from their last quest, which looked like a grapple gun, but it could be strapped to the wrist. "I'm just confused about this item here. According to its description, I can use it to latch onto things and move around, but why would I need to do that if I can already fly?"

Kirito took the item from his partner, which was called a Wrist Grapple, and examined it closely. "It is kinda weird for an item like this to exist in ALO," he admitted before handing back to Marth. "Maybe it's meant to be used in no-fly zones, like caves or something."

"Maybe," Marth mused before putting it in his coat. "Anyway, we should get going. We've got a lot of work to do."

"Oh, yeah," Yuuki realized. "You guys are gonna try to recreate more of your «Dual-Wielding» skills today. Mind if we watch?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious at seeing it myself," Asuna admitted.

The Darkness Duo locked eyes with each other and shrugged.

"Okay," Kirito said. "But I doubt you two will find it as interesting as you think."

**Later**

Marth, Kirito, Yuuki, Asuna, and Yui were in the plains just outside of Arun. The Spriggans have spent nearly two hours trying to recreate «Starburst Stream» and «Eclipse» respectively, but with little success.

"Wow," Asuna mused as she saw both her boyfriend and Marth fall to their knees in exhaustion. "Those two sure are determined."

Yuuki nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'd give them some pointers if I could, but I'm not an expert with dual-wielding."

"You can do it, Daddy and Uncle Marth!" Yui cheered. "Don't give up!"

"Thanks, Yui," Marth said to his niece before eyeing his partner. "Ready for another go?"

"Yeah," Kirito said with a serious tone.

The Spriggans then picked themselves up and once again tried to recreate their Sword Skills by doing the right moves. However, in order for the duo to successfully recreate their assigned attacks, they couldn't use the system, which is what increased their attack speed during Sword Skills, and because «Starburst Stream» and «Eclipse» had so many hits in them, it only made things more difficult for the duo. Both Marth and Kirito were only able to do the first eight attacks before they messed up.

"Oh, come on!" Kirito shouted in outrage. "Why is this so hard?!"

"Tell me about it," Marth said in the same tone. "At this rate, we'll never get them back."

Unbeknownst to the Spriggans, but Klein, Leafa, Thorrnn and the other Alfheim Warriors had gathered by Asuna, Yuuki and Yui to spectate.

"How long have they been at this?" Thorrnn questioned.

"About two hours or so," Asuna answered.

"Damn," Agil commented. "And they're still trying? Talk about determined."

"More like stubbornness to me," Sinon replied.

"That sounds like Kirito and Marth, though," Klein said.

"True," the Cait Sith archer said.

The guild then continued watching their co-leaders in silence. Both Spriggans were panting with exhaustion. It was then that Marth had a revelation.

"Hey, Kirito, maybe we're doing this wrong," the Dark Swordsman spoke up.

The Black Swordsman raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"We've been trying to recreate our Sword Skills through memory and had little success. Maybe we should instead _feel_ the Sword Skills and go from there."

"Hmm," Kirito mused. "Well it's worth a shot. You go first."

Marth nodded in acknowledgement before he once again activated the OSS system before closing his eyes and concentrated. Soon afterward, Marth felt a power trying to activate within him and promptly unleashed it as he opened his eyes.

Everyone gasped as the Dark Swordsman's twin swords began to glow blue as Marth performed a horizontal slash to the right with Lunara, followed up with an uppercut with Solaris plus a full circle spin. Next, the blue-eyed Spriggan did a horizontal slash to the right with both swords and followed up with another full spin. He then repeated the movement again but instead of a spin Marth did a downward X-slash and followed it up with upward X-slash, using both of his swords for each one.

Marth did two opposite-directional diagonal slashes, with Solaris went down-left while Lunara went up-right. He then reversed his grip on his swords and did a downward X-slash with both swords. The Dark Swordsman followed it up with a corkscrew attack before shifting his swords in a forward grip. He then did a downward X-slash and an upward X-slash next. The Spriggan then uttered a howl as he performed several more slashes at high speed, blue streaks trailing his blades. Marth followed with a thrust with Lunara before concluding the Sword Skill by doing a forward lunge with Solaris.

As soon as he finished, Marth panted in exhaustion. "I… I did it!" he exclaimed with excitement.

"That was awesome, Marth!" Kirito exclaimed as he gave his partner a high-five.

"Way to go, Marth!" Yuuki cheered, causing the duo to notice their friends.

"How long have you guys been here?!" the Darkness Duo shouted in shock.

The other fairies burst out laughing at the Spriggans' reaction.

"You guys really know how to focus on something!" Lisbeth said in-between laughs.

"I'm just surprised that it took them this long to notice us," Celina added.

The Spriggans let out a scoff.

"Whatever," Kirito said. "Now it's my turn."

Kirito then closed his eyes before his swords began glowing blue. The Black Swordsman immediately opened his eyes as he unleashed the 27-hit Sword Skill, doing every move perfectly. As soon as he finished, Kirito slumped to the ground in exhaustion.

"Great job, Kirito!" Asuna shouted.

"You did it, Daddy!" Yui added.

Both dual-wielders cracked a tired grin as they named their new Original Sword Skills before exchanging scrolls so that the other could use them.

"Man, am I glad that's over with," Kirito said as he laid on the grass.

"Me too," Marth said as he did the same. "I was beginning to think we would never be able to get «Starburst Stream» and «Eclipse» back."

The guild decided to celebrate the duo's success by throwing a party at their headquarters. Asuna, Yuuki, along with Sinon and Leafa, cooked a bunch of food, ranging from steaks and fried fish to salads. Once the four were done, the rest of the guild brought the food to the dining table and gathered around it.

"Wow!" Klein exclaimed after he took a bite of his steak. "You're an awesome cook, Asuna!"

The Lightning Flash blushed from the praise. "Thanks Klein. But I had some help with preparing all this."

"I was worried we made too much," Leafa spoke up. "Until I saw that…" The blonde Sylph glanced over to the Spriggans, who were wolfing down their food.

"Jeez, you two!" Sinon scolded. "Weren't you guys taught any manners?!"

"What?" Kirito asked innocently. "Marth and I haven't had a chance to eat lunch today. Of course we'd be hungry."

The blue-haired Cait Sith just rolled her eyes. "Honestly. It's your own fault that you two skipped eating. I bet if it wasn't for Asuna and Yuuki, you guys would've starved in SAO."

"Hey!" the Darkness Duo protested.

"She's kinda got a point though," Yuuki spoke up. "There were times where Marth had actually skipped meals because he was so focused on improving his skills."

Asuna giggled. "It was the same with Kirito. I remember one time when I found him collapsed on the field because of he forgot to eat for two days straight."

The other fairies, except Marth and Kirito, burst out laughing.

"Wh-why'd you have to tell them that, Asuna?!" Kirito exclaimed in embarrassment.

Asuna was laughing so hard that tears were leaking from her eyes. "Sorry, Kirito," she said as she dried her eyes. "I couldn't resist."

"So Daddy and Uncle Marth were like this even in SAO?" Yui questioned, who was sitting near her mother.

"That's right, Yui. And they haven't exactly changed that much either."

The Spriggans let out a grumble and were silent for the rest of the party.

**The Next Day**

Frank was hanging out in his room as the evening sun descended when Meg suddenly entered.

"Hey Frank, Kazuto wanted me to tell you that we're to meet up in ALO so we can discuss the upcoming raid to get the Soul Blade Kagutsuchi for Klein in about an hour or so," the Sylph player said.

"Oh, so we're finally having that meeting," Frank replied as he remembered discussing it the other day. "Thanks for telling me. I'll log in right now."

"Okay. I'll be right behind you." Meg then hurried to her room to dive back into ALO.

Frank then put on his Amusphere and laid on his bed. "Link start!" The Spriggan player then dived back into the virtual world. However, instead of finding himself in Yggdrasil City, he found himself in the middle of a strange forest.

"What the?" Marth said in confusion. "This isn't where I logged out from. Is this some kinda bug or something?"

The Spriggan tried to open the system menu, but for some reason it wouldn't appear. "Okay, this is weird. If I can't open the menu, how can I find out where I am or even contact Kirito and the others?"

Suddenly he heard the sounds of a battle to his right. "Huh? What's going on over there?"

Marth followed the sounds to the edge of the forest where he five people and a white tiger fighting against a monster.

The first person was a girl with long black hair and gold eyes. She was wearing a navy blue and white overcoat with red highlights, white gloves, navy blue pants and grey plate boots. She was also wielding two strange navy-blue rapiers.

By the girl's side was a young woman with long violet-blue hair and light purple eyes. She was wearing a sleeveless purple dress, and long gloves and high-heeled boots made of blue fire.

The third person was a young man with brown hair and eyes. He wore blue armor with red highlights and was wielding some kind of red saber. Right next to him was a young woman with flowing purple hair and orange eyes. She wore a black bodysuit with red highlights, with black gloves and long boots that went up to her thighs. She also had a red scarf that draped down her chest.

Finally, the fifth person was a girl with long black hair and brown eyes. She had a darker skin tone, possibly Indian. Her outfit was identical to the first girl's, except it was yellow and beige instead of navy blue and white. She was also two large rings that had glowing blue blades. There was also white tiger wearing armor by her side as well.

They seemed to be a team of sorts, however, what shocked the Spriggan was who they were fighting.

"Gleam Eyes!" Marth exclaimed as he recognized the demon-like monster. "That thing's one of the Floor Bosses from Old Aincrad. What's it doing here?"

Marth kept to the shadows as he watched Gleam Eyes unleash a powerful shockwave with his sword that knocked the group off their feet.

"I will not lose to mortals!" Gleam Eyes declared as it prepared to finish off the girl wielding the rapiers.

Marth gritted his teeth. "Not on my watch," he said with certainty before drawing his swords and charging at the monster.

The Dark Swordsman sprinted towards the boss like a black blur before blocking its sword with a cross-block, with sparks shooting off from the clash.

Marth glanced over his shoulder towards the downed girl and said, "Are you alright?"

The girl slowly nodded. "Yes. Thank you…" Her eyes suddenly widened in shock. "Frank! Is that you? What are you doing here? And what's with that coat?!"

Marth was shocked that she knew his real name, but he kept his focus and managed to force Gleam Eyes away and turned to face her. "How do you know my name?" Marth's eyes suddenly widened in recognition. "Hold on… Meg?! What's with that outfit? And did you get new swords or something?"

The group rose to their feet as they stared at the Spriggan in confusion.

"You mean you don't recognize Lady Meg's Driver armor and her Blade weapons?" the violet-haired woman, whose name was Brighid, questioned.

Marth raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What the heck are you talking about? Who are you and why did you just address my sister as 'Lady Meg'?"

Now they all looked confused as to what was going on, except Gleam Eyes, who instead roared in outrage.

"Excuse me!" the demon shouted. "We're in the middle of a battle! Butt out, outsider!"

Marth turned to face the demon. "Well _excuse_ me for trying to figure out what the heck's going on here!?" he retorted. "If you want a fight so bad, I'll give you one!" He took on a fighting stance with his twin swords. "I've beaten you once before with Kirito on Floor 74, but this time I don't need him."

_"Great, now I_ sound _like Kirito too,"_ Marth thought in his head.

"You with the saber!" Marth exclaimed. "Attack the boss from the right! Meg, you and the other girl with the rings will go left! I'll attack from the front. The rest of you…do whatever you do best."

"Yep, Frank's definitely different," Sonum, the twin-ring wielder, said in annoyance. "He didn't even say our names. Talk about rude."

Marth simply shrugged. "Sorry, but I can't say your names if I don't even know them."

"How do you not…"

"There's no time for that!" the Dark Swordsman interrupted. "If you want to get out of this alive, do what I say!"

The group reluctantly agreed to follow Marth's instructions, though his tone strangely reminded them of a certain blonde Aegis. Ethan, the saber wielder, ran at the demon's right while Meg and Sonum went left, their Blades supporting them. Marth charged at Gleam Eyes directly, blocking the demon's attacks with ease. As the others attacked the boss's flank, the Spriggan swung his twin swords at its legs, making deep cuts in them. Gleam Eyes then roared in rage as he swung his sword downward at the dual-wielder, only for the dual-wielder to deflect it with some effort.

_"Here goes,_ _"_ the Spriggan thought before saying, "Starburst Stream!"

Lunara and Solaris began to glow a bright blue as he activated his OSS. Marth began the Sword Skill by performing a horizontal slash to the right with his right sword right into Gleam Eyes's chest, followed up with an uppercut with the left sword plus a full circle spin. Next, he did a horizontal slash to the right with both swords and another full spin. He repeated the movement again but instead of a spin, Marth did a downward X-slash and followed it up with upward X-slash, using both of his swords for each one.

The Drivers and Blades watched in shock at what seemed to be an Art.

"Wh-what kind of Art is that?" Sonum stuttered.

"I do not think that is an Art, my lady," Dromarch, the tiger, replied.

Gleam Eyes managed to punch the dual-wielder in the face, but Marth kept going with his assault.

_"Faster,"_ Marth thought.

The Dark Swordsman did two opposite-directional diagonal slashes against the demon's chest, the left sword went down-left while the right one went up-right. He then reversed his grip on his swords and did a downward X-slash with both swords. Marth followed it up with a corkscrew attack before shifting his swords in a forward grip. He then did a downward X-slash and an upward X-slash next. Gleam Eyes was able to punch the swordsman again, but Marth just kept attacking.

_"Gotta go faster!"_ Marth thought.

The Spriggan uttered a howl as he performed several more slashes at high speed, blue streaks trailing his blades, while Gleam Eyes did the same, albeit at a much slower pace and without the streaks.

"You won't defeat me so easily!" Gleam Eyes declared.

Somehow the demon was able to grab Lunara which prevented the twentieth attack, which would have been a thrust with the right sword. Both Drivers and Blades watched in horror as it looked like it was all over for the dual-wielder. However, Starburst Stream still had one more attack left, which was a forward lunge with the left sword. Marth let out a feral scream as he thrusted Solaris right into monster's chest. Gleam Eyes did a horizontal slash in an attempt to finish him off, but the dual-wielder was faster. After the attacks landed, a few moments passed before Gleam Eyes collapsed to the ground and began dissolving into black smoke.

Gleam Eyes locked eyes with his killer, who looked completely exhausted. "You… You are not of this world. Your soul… it is a fragment of its former self, but I can feel a great power within you." Gleam Eyes smiled cynically. "It seems that part of my search is over." The demon tried to grab Marth, but the Spriggan wasn't as tired as he appeared as he severed the demon's arm with Solaris.

Gleam Eyes howled in pain as he continued to dissolve. "Gah! No matter! My death means nothing! The Shadow Army will find the hero of this world instead, and the priestess. Every world will be plunged in shadow. We…are…a legion! We are…"

"Will you just die already!?" Marth exclaimed impatiently as he was incased with purple lightning before launching a beam of electricity into demon's skull from Lunara, causing the demon's body to disintegrate instantly.

Marth then let out a deep breath as his lightning aura dissipated. "Sheesh, I thought that guy would never shut up. How long does it take for monsters to die here?" He then let out a groan. "Great, now I really _do_ sound like Kirito."

The Spriggan then thought about what the demon said about his soul being only a fragment of what it was supposed to be. _"What did he mean by that?"_ Marth wondered before he noticed Meg approach him.

The cloudy sky then cleared up, allowing moonlight to shine through. It was then that Marth noticed Meg's gold eyes, something he knew his sister didn't have, along with the black hair.

"Hold on," Marth said slowly. "Are you really my sister?"

Meg shook her head. "Frank, or whoever you are, it seems we have mistaken each other for people we know. I am not your sister and you are not my brother."

"Okay, I'm with you so far. Where are we anyway? I know for sure that this isn't Alfheim."

"This is Alrest. I'm afraid you're in another world."

Marth gritted his teeth. "I knew it," he said in frustration. "Now what?"


	19. Kindred Spirits

After introducing themselves to the Spriggan, the group took Marth to Sonum's base in Torigoth to talk. Marth surprised them all by taking the idea of him being in another world quite well, most likely because of him playing VRMMOs. He also noted how Gormotti people he saw around the city reminded him of the Cait Sith in ALO. Marth did find the Nopons to be kind of odd though but chose not to ask any questions about them.

"So I'm in another world," Marth said as he leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. "That explains why I couldn't open the system menu or received any messages from Kirito and the others. The real question is… how did I get here?"

"What were you doing before you appeared in the forest?" Ethan asked.

"I was logging onto a VRMMO game I play called Alfheim Online. My friends and I were going to have a raid meeting so we could get legendary weapon." Marth then paled. "Oh great, Yuuki's so gonna kill me if I don't get back soon."

"Yuuki?" Sonum said.

"My girlfriend," Marth replied simply.

Meg folded her arms. "This is troubling news. There are two versions of you existing in this dimensional universe. Who knows what effects that'll have?"

"Typically, whenever that happens in movies, the universe collapses in on itself," Marth said. "I'd rather not stick around to find out if it's true or not."

"All the more reason to get you back to your world as soon as possible, Dark Swordsman," said a familiar voice.

The group turned and saw none other than Klaus standing by the back of the room.

"Professor Klaus," Meg said in a formal tone. "What are you doing here?"

"My instruments detected an anomaly in space and led me here," Klaus explained. "Now that I see your brother's counterpart, it all makes sense."

"Counterpart?" Brighid questioned.

"As you probably figured out by now, the Frank standing before you is an alternate version of the one you know. His past and future are vastly different from this world's Frank. This Frank hails from a world where virtual reality MMORPGs exist. He saved thousands of people from Sword Art Online, a VRMMO that had killed hundreds of players in the real world."

Marth grunted in disapproval as he folded his arms. "You make me sound like I'm some kind of hero or something. But I didn't do it alone. I had my best friend, Kirito, fighting beside me as we defeated the final bosses of SAO, ending the death game." He then eyed the scientist in suspicion. "Hold on, how do you even know that?"

"I have my ways," Klaus replied, making Marth even more suspicious of the man.

"Master Klaus, how are we going to get this Frank back to his world?" Dromarch asked.

"With great difficulty," Klaus admitted. "Traveling to alternate dimensions is nearly impossible, but there are ways to pull it off. First, we need to go to Leftheria and get this world's Frank, along with Mythra, then we'll head to a secret island where we can open a portal to send the other Frank home."

Ethan raised his hand. "Hold on, if there are two Franks in the same place, how will we deal with the name issue? It'll be way too confusing, especially if we try talking to both of them at once."

"Did you forget the part about me playing VRMMOs?" Marth deadpanned. "It's an easy fix. Just call me 'Marth'. That's my avatar's name."

"Wait, 'Marth'? Where the heck did you get that name from?" Sonum asked.

"Fire Emblem. It's a strategy game I played when I was little."

"That takes care of that issue," Klaus said. "Now then, we must leave immediately. The longer we delay, the less our odds of returning Marth home increases."

The group hurried outside, where Klaus's ship was waiting. Marth commented how cool it looked as they got on board and made haste for Leftheria. Along the way, Klaus noticed a silver light coming from his coat pocket. He brought out the object and found that it was reacting to Marth, who was standing by the edge of the ship, looking out towards the Cloud Sea.

"Interesting," Klaus mused before pocketing the object.

**Meanwhile**

Kirito and the others were at the guild headquarters, waiting for a certain Spriggan to show up.

"This is weird," Celina said. "Marth's never late to meetings."

Sinon opened her system menu and checked her friend list to see the Dark Swordsman's location. "He's not even online," the Cait Sith said. "Thorrnn, does Marth know that the meeting's happening right now?"

The green-haired Sylph nodded in confirmation. "He should," Thorrnn replied. "In fact, he was about to log in right when I was."

Kirito checked the time on his menu and saw that its been nearly an hour since the guild meeting was supposed to start. "Okay, now I'm starting to get worried," the Spriggan said. "Thorrnn, go check on Marth IRL and see if he's alright."

"Okay."

However, before Thorrnn could even open her menu to log out, the building began shaking fiercely.

"Wh-what's happening?!" Silica shouted in fear.

"Earthquake!" Klein yelled. "Hold onto something!"

Suddenly a strange shadow emerged from one side of the room and began making its way to the fairies.

"Wh-what the heck is that?!" Lisbeth exclaimed.

Kirito instinctively drew his swords. "Everyone, get back!" The Spriggan then charged at the shadow and readied a Sword Skill with his right sword.

"Wait, Kirito!" Asuna exclaimed in worry.

"Daddy, stop!" Yui added.

The Black Swordsman tried to slash at the shadow, but it just passed harmlessly through it.

"What the?" was all Kirito said before the shadow consumed him, leaving no trace of the Spriggan behind.

"Kirito!" Asuna shouted in dread.

"Kazuto!" Leafa cried out before trying to run to the shadow to save her brother, only for Thorrnn to stop her.

"No, Leafa!" the green-haired Sylph pleaded. "You'll disappear too!"

"But Kazuto…"

The shadow then surrounded the rest of the fairies, cutting off any chance of escape.

"We're trapped," Yuuki said in a panic.

"Yui, do you have any idea what's going on?" Asuna asked her daughter, who was sitting on her shoulder.

The pixie shook her head as she stayed close to the Undine. "I'm sorry, Mommy, but I don't. I just know that Daddy's signal disappeared when that shadow took him."

Asuna's eyes filled with worry. _"Could that shadow be the reason Marth's missing too? Are he and Kirito dead?"_ The Undine shook her head. _"No, I refuse to believe that they'd die so easily."_

"Mommy, I'm scared," Yui said in fear, prompting the Lightning Flash to put her hand in front of the pixie in a protective manner.

"It's okay, Yui," Asuna assured. "I won't let anything happen to you."

The shadow then swallowed the remaining Alfheim Warriors, sending them to wherever it wanted.

**Alrest**

Marth then felt a chill run down his spine as a feeling of dread overtook him. "Kirito. Yuuki," he muttered under his breath, catching Meg Ladair's attention.

"Is something wrong?" the Flamebringer questioned.

Marth eyed the Driver and shook his head. "No, it's nothing," the Spriggan said.

Meg raised an eyebrow in suspicion but chose not to press him for answers.

"So anyway, your brother's name is Frank too, right?" Marth said suddenly. "And he's a Driver too?"

"That's right," Meg confirmed. "His Blade is named Mythra, though she has another self called Pyra. They're actually a legendary Blade called an Aegis. Mythra is the stronger form and is the one I've seen the most."

"I see. Anything else I should know?"

"Well despite them being the same person, Mythra and Pyra have completely different personalities. Pyra's kind while Mythra has an attitude, though she means well, usually."

Before Marth could press further, they heard Klaus announce through the ship's speaker, "Attention everyone. We're arriving in Fonsett Village right now."

The ship landed in front of a house, prompting everyone to head for the exit ramp. Marth kept to the back as the Drivers and Blades approached a young man who looked like him, only he had gold eyes and was wearing a white overcoat with green trimming, a silver metal chestplate, black pants with gold trimming, white gloves and black boots with green highlights. On his lookalike's chest was a green x-shaped crystal. He also had a strange red sword strapped to his waist.

By his side was a red-haired girl wearing futuristic armor of the same color. She also had a green crystal on her chest that had an x-shaped hole in it. Next was a man with silver hair and blue eyes. He wore a silver trench coat, fingerless gloves, pants and boots. He also had a black nodachi with a blue crystal embedded in the hilt strapped to his back. By his side was a teenage girl with beige hair, hazel eyes and cat-like ears, indicating that she was Gormotti. She wore a yellow outfit, a white and red scarf, a black belt with kunai knives and black boots. She also had twin rings strapped to her waist.

"Hey guys!" Frank greeted. "What's up?" He then noticed the grim looks on their faces. "What is it?"

It was Meg who spoke up. "We've got a small problem."

Pyra went over to her Driver's side. "What's wrong?" the Aegis asked.

The Flamebringer pointed to Klaus's ship, where Frank and the others saw none other than Marth.

"What the heck?!" Frank exclaimed in surprise.

Pyra saw the Spriggan and had the same reaction. "You have a twin? Why didn't you tell me?"

The Dark Swordsman chuckled in amusement. "The name's Marth. I'm not his twin."

"Then who are you?" Jin demanded.

The group explained the situation to the others.

"So Marth is Frank's counterpart from another world?" Pyra said.

"Yep," Ethan replied. "Apparently we need you and Frank's help to get him back to his world as soon as possible."

"Just out of curiosity," Nia said. "But what will happen if Marth doesn't go back to his world?"

The look on Klaus's face was grim. "There is a rift between our world and Marth's. Our two worlds weren't supposed to meet, but a spacial disturbance caused our worlds to connect. That rift is what brought Marth here. If we don't send him back to his world, the rift will grow until it consumes both worlds."

"Then we need to hurry before that happens," Frank said.

Suddenly Marth tensed up as he felt a new presence in the area, prompting him to look around in suspicion.

"What's wrong?" Pyra asked in concern.

"Someone's here," Marth said firmly. "Can't tell if it's friend or foe."

Nia raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not going ballistic?"

"Quiet Nia," Jin told the Gormotti. "I sense it too."

This time Nia went on-guard, as did everyone else as they examined the area. Suddenly a voice called out, "Ah ha! There you are, Marth! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you, you stupid Spriggan?!" Marth immediately flinched in fear as he recognized the voice.

Everyone turned towards the source and saw that it was none other than Yuuki.

Marth nervously waved at the Imp. "Hey… Yuuki," he said slowly, fear etched in his voice.

Yuuki stomped over to her boyfriend and promptly slapped him in the face, before pulling him into a tight hug, surprising everyone watching.

"Thank goodness you're alright, Marth," Yuuki said in relief. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

Marth returned the embrace, holding the Imp close. "I'm sorry, Yuuki," the Spriggan replied as he rubbed the back of her head with one hand to comfort her. "I didn't mean for this to happen. It just did."

"Where are we?" Yuuki asked.

"Alrest. It's a world that's parallel to our own. How'd you get here anyway?"

"You didn't show up for the guild meeting, so we all got pretty worried. Thorrnn was about to log off to go to see if you were alright when suddenly this shadow appeared. Kirito tried to fight it, but it just swallowed him up. It then trapped us and did the same thing. After that I found myself here and heard your voice."

_"Oh no,"_ Marth thought in fear. _"Could that shadow have brought the others to Alrest too?"_

Yuuki then noticed Frank over her boyfriend's shoulder. "Why are there two of you?"

"It's a long story. We'll have to explain it on the way."

Pyra then switched to Mythra. "Are you two lovebirds gonna just stand there holding each other all day, or are you gonna actually do something?" Marth and Yuuki immediately separated, both looking rather embarrassed.

"Mythra! That wasn't very nice," Frank scolded. "You should be a little more considerate considering their situation."

Mythra glared at her Driver. "We've got two worlds at stake, and if we don't get them back to their world immediately, then we're all done for. So sorry if I'm trying to hurry things along."

"Mythra's right," Klaus said. "If more people from Marth's world are crossing over to this one, then that means the rift is beginning to grow. We need to hurry to Temporal Island and get Marth and Yuuki back to their world. Let's just hope we don't have any more unexpected visitors."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Marth warned.

**Later**

Yuuki was in one of the cabins on Klaus's ship with Mythra and Nia. The Absolute Sword was sitting on the couch, Mythra on one of the beds, and Nia on the other.

"So you've got two personalities?" Yuuki asked the Aegis.

"Pretty much," Mythra said with a nod. "It wasn't always like that, but Pyra's pretty much my sister. There are things she can do that I can't."

"Like cooking a decent meal," Nia joked, prompting Mythra to throw her pillow at the Gormotti. "You know it's true. I bet that's one thing Frank likes about Pyra over you."

"He does not!?" Mythra protested.

Yuuki couldn't help but give an all-knowing smirk. "Sounds to me like you really care a lot about Frank."

Mythra blushed in embarrassment. "I-it's for both our sakes. Pyra had the bright idea to share half of our Core Crystal with him, causing us to share each other's injuries. If one of us dies, we both do."

"You sure that's it?" Yuuki asked, still having her smirk.

"Don't you dare say it!?" Mythra warned.

"You love Frank!" Yuuki said in a playful tone.

"No, I don't!?" Mythra shouted, throwing a pillow at the swordswoman, who easily dodged it.

_Yes, you do,_ Pyra said.

_I do NOT have feelings for him!_ Mythra screamed, nearly giving herself a headache. _He's my Driver, and that's it. There's nothing else!_

_You keep forgetting that we share memories. I know exactly what you think about him. I care about him too, you know. There's nothing wrong with admitting it to yourself._

_Ugh. Why are you always right when it comes to boys?!_

Mythra then took a deep breath and folded her arms. "Okay, fine! I like Frank as more than just friend. Happy?"

Nia gave Yuuki an envious look. "How'd you do that?" she asked the Imp. "I've been trying to get her to admit it for two weeks and nothing."

"I had a good teacher, and I'm sure Pyra helped as well," Yuuki admitted. "I could tell that she cares a lot about Frank too. You two sure know how to make things difficult for him."

"What do you mean?" Mythra questioned.

"Well, even though you and Pyra are the same person, Frank still has to choose between you two. He also seems different from my Frank."

Mythra looked at the Imp in confusion. "Different how?"

"Well, Marth has a bad habit of doing things on his own, without asking for help, unless its Kirito. I think that's mostly because he isolated himself in SAO by being a solo player. Frank, on the other hand, seems more open to work with others. Marth has slowly gotten better at it, but there's still a part of him that goes solo."

"Interesting," Mythra said. "So how did you and Marth meet?"

"I'd like to hear that too," Nia said.

Yuuki told them how she first met Marth in Sword Art Online, how they eventually became a team, even their in-game marriage and the Alfheim Incident.

"Wow, you two have been through a lot together," Nia commented.

Yuuki shrugged. "I guess so. Marth's done a lot for me, and everyone else. It's because of him that I'm so strong."

**Meanwhile**

Frank and Marth were at the bow of the ship, admiring the Cloud Sea below.

"So how long have you and Mythra been a thing?" Marth asked suddenly.

Frank's face went crimson. "W-we're not dating! I'm just her Driver! That's all!?"

Marth chuckled in amusement. "Oh, really?" he said with his famous smirk. "Didn't seem that way to me." The Dark Swordsman folded his arms. "Want my advice? Don't ever let her go. You never know what you have until you lose it. I'd hate to see my counterpart have to go through that kind of loss."

"Have you gone through something like that?"

The Spriggan shook his head. "Somewhat. I've seen countless people die in SAO, people I couldn't save. Even though players knew Sword Art Online was a death game, there were those who killed other players just for the fun of it."

Frank gasped in surprise. "Seriously? People actually killed each other in that game?"

"Yes, granted some were in self-defense, but the rest were all murders. There was this one group that specialized in killing players called Laughing Coffin. The Assault Team tried to reason with them to stop their PK-ing, but Laughing Coffin didn't care. I ended up volunteering to investigate them so I could find their base so we could launch a crusade to arrest them all. However, they found out about our plans and ambushed us outside their base. In the middle of the chaos, I snapped and killed five members of Laughing Coffin. I just…cut them down. Though we won the fight, we lost ten of our own, while twenty members of Laughing Coffin were killed, the rest were sent to prison, all except one, their leader, PoH.

Marth gripped his left arm with his other hand tightly. "Sadly, PoH managed to stay low for the remainder of SAO. I have no idea where he is now or what his real name is."

"Do you want to get revenge on him?" Frank questioned.

The Dark Swordsman shook his head. "As tempting as that sounds, getting revenge won't bring those dead players back," Marth answered. "The most I'll be able to do is make sure PoH won't kill again if he ever returns." Deciding to change the subject, Marth added. "So, what about you? What's your life like?"

"Not much happier than yours." Frank then told the Spriggan his life story, which took a while.

Marth's eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents. I can't imagine the amount of hardship you've went through."

Frank shook his head. "Ditto. However, I think it was meant to happen."

Marth lowered his arms and chuckled. "I've never really believed in fate," he admitted. "I've always felt like we make our own destinies, our own fate."

The Aegis Driver laughed as well. "Think you could show me those Sword Skills of yours sometime?"

"Only if you show me your Arts," Marth said with a smile.

"Deal. Kind of funny that our worlds have similar special attacks."

"Yep."

Suddenly Temporal Island could be seen in the distance. A large black cloud was spiraling above the island, with lightning crashing down.

"Everyone," Klaus announced over the speaker. "Come to the bridge immediately."

**Later**

Everyone was gathered in the bridge, where Klaus began explaining the plan.

"Temporal Island is an uncharted island that few people know about, only appearing in certain situations like this," Klaus explained. "It's covered in a thick forest that is nearly impossible to navigate. We'll have to go through the forest on foot since ships are unable to fly over the island for an unexplained reason. Once we get out of the forest, we'll need to go past some ancient ruins and climb Temporal Tower in the center of it. The rift is at the top of the tower, which is where we need to go to send Marth and Yuuki home. I won't lie, this will not be easy. Temporal Island will be full of powerful monsters, either from our world or Marth's. We have to stay together no matter what. If you get lost, we may not be able to find you. Does everyone understand?"

They all did. Klaus then landed the ship by the edge of the forest. As they all got off, they saw that they weren't alone.

"About time you brats got here," a man wearing black armor said as he leaned on a tree. He had a sword strapped to his waist.

Mythra glared at him in anger. "Malos, why are you here?"

"Relax, partner, I'm not here to fight you," he said. "The spacial rift threatens all of us, so we came to help you send those two home." Malos gestured to the Spriggan and Imp.

"We?" Frank questioned. "Who else is here?"

A man with black hair and blue eyes appeared from the forest. He wore a black trench coat with red highlights and a black mask over his face. On his back was a black double-edged sword with a red crystal embedded in the hilt.

"Who are you?" Marth asked in suspicion.

"I am Zeke, leader of Torna. I just scouted a part of the forest. There is a pathway leading to Temporal Tower, but there are powerful monsters lurking here. You'll need all the help you can get if you want to reach the top of that tower alive."

"How do you know this place?" Klaus demanded. "Only certain individuals know of its existence!"

"I have my ways," Zeke replied. "I give you my word that we will not attack you, or try to take the Aegis, while we're here. Once we complete our task, we will leave as enemies again."

"You're calling a ceasefire?" Frank guessed, to which Zeke nodded.

Marth eyed the masked swordsman with suspicion. While he could tell that Zeke was being sincere, the Dark Swordsman could sense that something was off about him, something not quite human. Strangely enough, he got the same vibe from Jin and Nia as well.

Meg sighed. "It's not like we have a choice, and he makes a valid argument. We're in unknown territory here so we'll need as much help as we can get."

The others, although reluctantly, agreed and they all entered the forest. As they walked, Marth noticed Malos staring at him.

"Something wrong?" Marth asked the male Aegis.

"No," Malos replied. "You just remind me of someone I fought long ago."

The Dark Swordsman raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Care to clarify what you mean?"

"Not really." Malos then went over to Zeke and stayed quiet.

"What's his deal?" Marth wondered aloud.

"Don't take it personally," Mythra told the Spriggan. "Malos has always been that way. Still though…" She looked the dual-wielder over. "I feel like I know you from somewhere, and its not because you look like my Driver."

"Interesting," Marth replied. "Well I know for a fact that I didn't meet you before today. Maybe I just remind you of someone else."

"Maybe," the blonde Aegis said, though she still looked unsure.

**Meanwhile**

At the top of Temporal Tower, a man wearing a black cloak sneered. "They're here," he said cynically. "Come to me, Marth, Mythra, and meet your destiny."


	20. Rush to Temporal Island

The forest was thick and dark, making it nearly impossible to see. The only light the group had to see with was the light Mythra and Brighid provided. Marth, on the other hand, could see just fine thanks to his Spriggan magic granting him night vision. The forest was eerily quiet, making everyone on edge.

Marth, Zeke, Jin, Frank and Mythra were in the front while Malos, Meg, Brighid, Yuuki and Nia were at the back. Everyone else was in the middle.

"Hey, Yuuki, does this place remind you of the Dark Woods at all?" Marth questioned.

"Now that you mention it, it does," the Imp replied slowly. "Talk about weird."

"What are you guys talking about?" Ethan questioned.

"Just making a comparison between this forest and one in Aincrad," Marth answered.

"Aincrad?"

The Dark Swordsman let out a groan. "It's a long story."

"Anyway, how much longer until we're out of this forest?" Sonum asked nervously.

"If we keep up with our current speed, we should see the ruins in about an hour," Zeke replied.

Frank shuddered anxiously. "Good, the sooner we get out of here, the better."

Mythra chuckled in amusement. "Don't worry, I'll protect you from the scary dark."

Everyone, including Zeke and Malos, burst out laughing at Frank's reaction. As if to make Frank even more embarrassed, Marth then high-fived the female Aegis.

"Nice one," Marth praised.

"I couldn't resist," Mythra replied with a smirk.

Suddenly Marth, Jin and Zeke tensed up and froze in place as they sensed something nearby, causing everyone else to stop.

"What's wrong now?" Malos demanded.

"We're being watched," Marth said as he and the two masked swordsmen scanned the immediate area. For a split second, Marth saw a man in a black cloak, a hood covering his face, before the man disappeared into the shadows.

After a few moments, nothing happened.

"You must be losing it," Malos said finally. "There's no one here."

"Not anymore," Jin replied. "I sensed a dark presence lurking around, observing us."

"You too?" Zeke asked. Marth and Jin nodded in confirmation.

Ethan gritted his teeth nervously. "All in favor of getting the heck out of here, say 'Aye'."

There was a unanimous number of "aye's" before the group continued down the forest. As they walked, Marth thought about the cloaked man he saw.

_"Could that have been…"_ was all the Spriggan thought before a blue light shone nearby in the trees.

"Now what is it?" Sonum said.

Yuuki instinctively grasped the hilt of her sword. "It could be monsters, or some of me and Marth's friends. We should go take a look."

Azurda, who was riding on Dromarch with Sonum, said, "I distinctly recall Klaus saying not to wander off in this forest."

"But if it is our friends, then we have to find them," Marth replied. "I won't leave anyone behind."

Zeke nodded in agreement. "We'll be fine if we all stay together. None of us can stand alone on this island."

The group then headed to the source of the light. In a small clearing, they could see two teenagers, one boy and one girl, along with a black-haired pixie wearing a pink dress. Marth and Yuuki recognized them immediately.

"Kirito! Asuna! Yui!" he exclaimed as he ran to his friends.

Kirito turned and saw his best friend with a bunch of people. "Marth? What are you…?" the Spriggan started to say when a flash of purple ran into Asuna.

"Asuna! You're here too!" Yuuki said as she tackled the Lightning Flash into a hug.

The Undine was surprised to see the Imp and said, "Yuuki? What's going on? I remember us being surrounded by that shadow and then I woke up here with Kirito and Yui…"

"Long story, but we're in another world called Alrest," Marth said hastily. "If we don't get back to our world soon, we're all gonna die."

"What?!" both Kirito and Asuna exclaimed in shock.

"You could have broken it to them a little more slowly," Yuuki whispered to her boyfriend.

"Yeah, probably should've," Marth agreed.

Suddenly the pixie flew over to the Dark Swordsman and hovered in front of him. "You're so mean, Uncle Marth!" the pixie scolded. "Making everyone worry like that! Don't ever vanish like that again!"

"Uncle?!" the Alrestians said in surprise.

Marth held his forehead in his palm. "These are my friends, Kirito and Asuna. The pixie in front of me is their adopted daughter, Yui, my adopted niece. And for your information, Yui, I wasn't planning on going to another world! It was out of my control!" He then spent the next five minutes introducing his friends to the Alrestians, and explaining the situation they're in.

"Okay, I think I understand what you're saying," Kirito said after Marth was done. "Basically, we need to get to this Temporal Tower ASAP if we don't want both of our worlds to be destroyed? Sounds easy enough."

Marth chuckled as he folded his arms. "Always the optimist. You never change."

Klaus cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Do I have to remind everyone that we are on a time limit? We need to keep moving."

Ethan heard something behind him and turned around. He immediately jumped back when he saw a humanoid-lizard hybrid with a curved sword and shield. Soon they were surrounded by the same monsters.

"What the heck are they?!" Malos exclaimed as everyone, minus the Blades, Azurda and Yui, drew their weapons.

"Lizardman Lords," Kirito answered as Yui hid in his coat pocket. "They're monsters from our world."

Klaus gritted his teeth. "I was afraid this would happen. These are phantoms. They may not be the same monsters you fought, but they are just as powerful as the real ones."

"Be careful when fighting them," Marth warned as he parried an attack with his swords. "These things can use Sword Skills too."

"And how are we gonna deal with that?" Frank asked quickly.

"Keep an eye on their weapons," Asuna briefed. "When their weapons start glowing, that means they're activating a Sword Skill. Avoid the attack, then counter while they're frozen."

Malos smirked in anticipation. "You maggots wanna fight?!" he shouted. "I'll give you a fight!"

The Lizardman Lords charged at the group. Some of the monsters immediately activated Sword Skills, but thanks to Asuna's advice, the Drivers knew when to block/dodge the attacks before countering. Malos and Zeke proved to be quite the team, fighting against ten monsters like it was nothing. Malos held their attention while Zeke finished them off with blinding speed.

Marth and Yuuki worked in unison to defeat two Lizardmen. The Spriggan countered a Sword Skill with his own, allowing Yuuki to kill one using another Sword Skill. As the second Lizardman tried to attack the frozen Absolute Sword, Marth unfroze and killed it with a Sword Skill. The couple backed up to Kirito and Asuna, where they all covered each other's flanks, not letting a single monster pass.

Frank had Mythra switch to Pyra, who then used Flame Nova (which was a blast of fire) to torch three Lizardmen. Brighid followed it up with Will-o'-the-Wisp, burning the monsters even further. Pyra then switched back to Mythra.

"Go for it!" Frank exclaimed as he tossed her his sword.

Glowing green lines appeared around Mythra's body as she cried out, "Lightning Buster!" Mythra raised her sword up, extending the beam, before slashing it down at the Lizardmen and following it up with a spin attack, causing all the monsters to dissolve into shadow as they died.

"Nice Blade Combo!" Ethan praised as Poppi used Noponic Axion to kill another three Lizardmen.

"Dark Maelstrom!" Sonum and Dromarch shouted as they unleashed a blast of blue energy at five Lizardmen, leaving them vulnerable to Jin and Nia, who cut them down with no problem.

It wasn't long before all the monsters were slain. However, soon afterward, an earth-shattering roar echoed in the air.

"What the heck was that?" Malos questioned.

"I don't know but whatever it is, it's close," Zeke replied.

A loud rumbling could be heard, slowly increasing in intensity.

Yui popped her head out of her father's coat pocket. "Daddy, I'm detecting a powerful monster heading this way."

"Can you ID it?" the black-eyed Spriggan asked.

The pixie shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't. It must be a monster that wasn't in SAO or ALO."

Ethan went pale. "Great. A powerful monster is coming, and we don't even know what it is."

Yuuki smiled eagerly. "We'll be fine," she said confidently. "Marth can easily obliterate it with his lightning magic. They don't call him 'the Stormbringer' for nothing."

Marth let out a groan. "No one calls me that," he replied.

"But they should!" Yuuki argued.

Before the couple could continue their "debate", a large dinosaur-like creature appeared. It had red leathery skin, was bipedal, and resembled a t-rex.

"What the heck is that?!" Frank shouted.

Even Klaus was shocked. "It can't be. That's a Primordial!"

"A Prim-what?" Kirito questioned.

"It's an ancient creature that once roamed the World of Y's before going extinct," Klaus explained. "Its skin is extremely thick so normal weapons won't injure it."

"Then it's a good thing that most of us here don't use normal weapons," Meg replied. "Let's go, Brighid!"

"Right behind you." Brighid followed her Driver as she charged at the Primordial. Soon the other Drivers and Blades entered the fray as well.

"Wait! Don't!" Klaus warned, but it was too late.

Ethan slashed at the monster's leg with his saber, leaving a small gash that drew blood. The Primordial screeched in pain before shooting a fireball at Sonum, but Dromarch protected her with his defense barrier.

"It can shoot fire too?!" Sonum exclaimed.

"Clearly this creature is very powerful," Dromarch remarked. "My lady, we must take extreme caution."

Frank sent a blast of light at the Primordial's head, getting its attention. The Primordial charged at the Aegis Driver and his Blade, both of whom jumped out of the way. The Primordial didn't relent, however, and kept pursuing the duo before Meg and Brighid stopped it with a wall of blue flames.

"Great," Mythra scolded her Driver. "You made it mad."

Frank glared at the blonde-haired Aegis. "I don't see you offering any ideas!"

Suddenly a blast of purple lightning struck the Primordial in the side, knocking it into the trees.

"What the?" Frank said in confusion.

"Can you two argue later?" Marth questioned as he approached the duo, purple lightning discharging from his body. "We need to focus on the fight at hand."

The Primordial got back on its feet and roared at the blue-eyed Spriggan in anger. It then charged at him, barring its teeth.

"Marth! Run!" Klaus exclaimed.

Marth, however, remained where he was. He simply raised his hand up as thunder boomed from the sky. "Raging Bolt!" the Dark Swordsman exclaimed.

He then swung his hand down, causing a large bolt of purple lightning to shoot down and strike the Primordial in the back, causing the monster to roar in pain.

"No way!" Ethan, Sonum, and Meg exclaimed in shock. Their Blades had the same reaction.

Mythra gritted her teeth in frustration. "Copycat," she said. "Two can play at that game." The crystal in her tiara, as well as her core, began glowing green.

Frank's eyes widened as he realized what she was about to do. "Mythra, wait!"

The Aegis ignored her Driver's protests as she summoned a golden particle beam down on the Primordial, greatly injuring the beast even further. This time the fairies were shocked at the display of power. Marth was the first to recover and gave Mythra a light-hearted smile.

"Cool," Marth said, sounding impressed. "You're stronger than you look."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Mythra retorted.

"Can you guys save this discussion for later?!" Frank practically yelled. "You're both powerful, so why don't you work together to kill this thing?"

Mythra and Marth made eye contact, and both shrugged.

"You better not slow me down," Mythra said as she took the Aegis Sword from her Driver.

Marth smirked mischievously. "Oh please, speed is my specialty."

The Spriggan and the Aegis approached the downed Primordial, who was covered head-to-toe with injuries. The Primordial roared at the duo in defiance as it tried to get up but failed and collapsed on the ground. The duo felt pity for the mighty creature and decided to put it out of its misery. Mythra summoned another particle beam, while Marth released an electric blast from his swords. Both attacks struck the Primordial in simultaneously, ending its life.

"Whoa," Kirito said in awe. "I wonder what would happen if Marth and Mythra combined their powers."

"Mass destruction," Jin replied simply.

"I heard that!" Marth and Mythra shouted.

With the Primordial dead, the group continued towards the ruins.

"Akhos," Zeke said through his earpiece. "Give me an update."

"The rift is becoming more unstable," Akhos replied through the earpiece in Zeke's ear. "The energy readings coming from it are off the charts."

"Is it trying to destroy Alrest?"

"No. It's almost like something is trying to come through it. Something powerful."

Zeke relayed what Akhos told him to the group, making them all want to pick up the pace. As they ran past trees and boulders, both Marth and Frank felt a strange sensation, like they've been here before. Kirito, Yuuki, Mythra and Asuna also felt that they have been in the forest before as well.

The group fought a couple of monsters as they progressed through the forest. Soon, the trees began to clear up and revealed a ruined city with a broken wall. A large tower could be seen there, a great void floating at the top.

"Are these the ruins we're looking for?" Sonum asked.

"No," Malos said sarcastically. "These are completely different ruins that have no relation to why we're here in the first place!"

Sonum glared angrily at the male Aegis. "It was just a simple question. You don't have to be rude about it."

"Hate to break it to you, Sonum," Mythra said. "But kindness and Malos don't mix."

Malos scoffed in annoyance. "I can be nice if I want to. I just don't like it when people ask dumb questions."

The group then entered the city through a destroyed gate, there they saw in horror that the city was full of fallen buildings and debris. Scorch marks were everywhere, as if the whole place was on fire long ago.

"How awful," Meg said in shock.

"What happened here?" Asuna wondered. "There are burn marks and debris everywhere."

Mythra examined one of the destroyed buildings and found something strange. "These buildings are old, impossibly old. It's almost like they've been here since before Alrest even existed."

Klaus nodded. "This is the Umbral City," he explained. "And it is as old as time itself. Long before any of our worlds existed, there was only one world, its name long lost to history. This city existed in it. There was a war against mankind and monsters. This city fell before the Shadow Army and became the sight you see now. It was also…where _they_ made their last stand."

"They…?" Meg questioned.

"This is where the Twilight Hero was born." Klaus pointed towards Temporal Tower. "That is where he and the Dawn Priestess made the ultimate sacrifice to stop the Shadow King and seal him away for all eternity."

"The War of Light and Shadow," Jin realized.

Nia looked at the masked man in confusion. "Wait, you mean that old legend actually happened?"

"Of course," Klaus said grimly. "Sadly the names of the hero and priestess were also lost to time. Many people live their whole lives, unaware that their worlds wouldn't have existed if it wasn't for those two."

There was a moment of silence. Ethan then broke it by saying, "I wonder what this city was called back then."

"Arc Sophia," Frank and Marth said in sync, causing everyone to face them.

"Creepy," Sonum said nervously. "How do you two know that?"

"I've been here before," Marth said, almost trance-like. "Long ago. Arc Sophia was under siege by monsters."

"They overwhelmed our defenses and razed the city," Frank took over. "They killed anyone they saw, tore down buildings and burned them down. There were hardly any survivors."

"Marth/Frank?" Yuuki/Mythra said slowly as they approached the respective teen. They both gasped when they saw that Marth and Frank's eyes were glowing silver and red respectively. Neither boy seemed to notice the girls beside them.

"Brother, are you okay?" Meg asked in concern as she waved her hand in front of her brother's face but got no reaction.

"If this is a joke, Marth, it isn't funny," Kirito added as he did the same to his partner but got the same result.

"Our parents tried to get us to safety," Marth said.

"But then _he_ showed up," Frank took over. "And our parents gave their lives so we could escape."

Yuuki's eyes filled with worry. "What's wrong with them? Marth, snap out of it!"

"C'mon! Stop fooling around, Frank!" Mythra exclaimed. She didn't even try to hide her concern.

Both girls reached for the respective boy, hoping to snap them out of their trance. "Stop!" Klaus exclaimed in warning. "Don't touch them!?"

His words came too late as the girls grabbed the boys' hands. Suddenly an explosion of light and shadow erupted from the teens. When it cleared, only the two teens were standing, while everyone else was on the ground, though Marth had purple lightning discharging off him.

"What the heck?!" Malos exclaimed.

"What just happened?" Ethan asked fearfully.

Klaus wiped the dust from his glasses. "That was what I was trying to warn you all about. They're in a sort of trance, lost in long forgotten memories."

"Memories don't cause explosions!" Malos said angrily. "What the hell was that?!"

Klaus hesitated before answering. "There is a power lingering in them. Their mental state has caused it to surface and when they came into contact with those who possess a similar power, it triggered an explosion. I was afraid this might happen. They can't hear us in this state, there's nothing we can do to wake them up."

"That can't be," Yuuki said. "There must be something I can do." She rose to her feet and slowly made her way to Marth.

"Yuuki, no!" Klaus shouted in warning.

"Yuuki's right," Mythra said stubbornly. "Frank's my Driver. We share a core. If anyone can reach him, it's me." The Aegis began to approach her Driver.

Yuuki then grabbed onto Marth while Mythra did the same for Frank. Everyone braced for the blast when suddenly they were surrounded by an aura of light, shielding them from the explosion that followed.

"What's going…?" Nia said before seeing golden light radiate out of Mythra and Yuuki, though the Aegis's light seemed brighter for some reason.

"What the?" Yuuki said in confusion. "How did we do that?"

"No idea," Yuuki replied.

The duo then noticed the light in both Marth and Frank's eyes die down.

"Yuuki," Marth said slowly.

"Mythra," Frank added weakly.

"Yes," Yuuki cheered. "You're back to normal, Marth!"

"Don't ever do that again!" Mythra warned her Driver. "You had me… I mean everyone worried."

Both boys were clueless on what they were talking about, when suddenly the male counterparts began feeling very weak. Marth and Frank both then collapsed, luckily Yuuki and Mythra caught them before they hit the ground.

"Marth!" Yuuki shouted in worry.

"Frank!" Mythra cried out in the same tone.

"They'll be fine, now," Klaus said as he stood up. "I didn't think it was possible for you two to break them from their state. They'll need some rest to recover from that experience." Klaus spotted a (mostly) intact building to his right. "Let's bring them over there. We can rest up and get some cover while we wait."

The others agreed with the scientist. Yuuki and Kirito carried Marth to the building, while Mythra and Jin did the same for Frank. Zeke and Malos acted as lookouts while the unconscious teens were lain on beds in different rooms.

Yuuki refused to leave Marth's side, as did Mythra with Frank. Sonum, Nia and Dromarch made sure to check the teens' condition every half hour. Meg and Brighid were sitting on chairs by a dusty table while Ethan and Poppi sat on ruined couch. Jin and Klaus simply stood. Kirito and Asuna left to scout the area, with Yui tagging along.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Asuna asked her boyfriend as they walked around. "If you're worried about Marth, we can go back."

The Black Swordsman shook his head. "I am worried about Marth," Kirito admitted. "Why wouldn't I be? The thing is, I don't know what I can do for him."

"Daddy?" Yui asked in concern as she noticed the gloomy look in the Spriggan's eyes.

Kirito gave his daughter a forced smile. "I'm okay, Yui. Besides, someone had to scout the area to find the way to Temporal Tower. Who better than us?"

The Undine cracked a smile. "True."

The family navigated their way through the ruins until they saw a path leading to Temporal Tower.

"Well that was easy," Asuna commented. "Let's hurry and get back to the others."

"Agreed," Kirito replied before he suddenly tensed up as he detected movement.

"Mommy, Daddy, I'm detecting monsters coming this way," the pixie said. "A lot of them."

Kirito gritted his teeth in frustration. "Crap. We need to hide." The Black Swordsman quickly grabbed his girlfriend and pulled her into an alley, with Yui following close behind.

The trio stayed quiet as they saw a large group of monsters move past their hiding place. Once the monsters were out of sight, the family exited the alley.

"That was too close," Kirito said. "Thanks for the warning, Yui."

The pixie puffed her chest with pride. "You're welcome, Daddy," she said cheerfully.

"Let's hurry to the others before those things come back," the Lightning Flash suggested.

"Yeah," the Black Swordsman agreed. "Let's go."

They then hurried back to the house, which took them fifteen minutes to arrive. Once they entered the house, they found Marth, now awake, by the stairs with Yuuki.

"Marth!" Kirito cried out in relief as he hurried to his best friend.

The Dark Swordsman turned towards his fellow Spriggan and smiled. "Hey Kirito," he said casually. "How was your scouting?"

"Should you even be on your feet right now?" Kirito questioned.

"I can walk around just fine. I don't really remember what happened though."

"That's probably for the best," Asuna said. "Is Frank awake too. We need to brief everyone on what we found."

"We'll go check on him and Mythra," Yuuki offered. "C'mon, Marth."

The Imp grabbed her boyfriend by the arm and dragged him up the stairs before heading into Frank's room, where they saw that he was awake too. Mythra, Azurda and Nia were there with him.

"I attacked you?" the duo heard Frank say.

"In a way, yes," Azurda confirmed. "Everyone knows that you and Marth didn't mean it. You weren't in control of yourselves."

"But who was? I've never done anything like that before. Why did it happen now?"

"Who knows," Marth spoke up. The group turned and saw him and Yuuki by the door.

"So you're awake too, Marth," Azurda said.

Marth scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I was pretty out of it. Yuuki told me what happened, but I don't remember it either."

"What you all did was really weird," Nia added. "I've never seen anything like that before."

Yuuki nodded. "Me neither. By the way, Kirito and Asuna are back from scouting. Dromarch and Sonum went downstairs to hear what they found. We should go as well."

They all agreed and went downstairs, where they saw everyone else in the living room. Zeke, Jin and Malos kept looking out the window, expecting for monsters to attack at any second. Everyone turned when they heard the group come down.

"Finally decided to wake up, I see," Malos said smugly.

Meg walked over to her brother. "Are you alright, Frank?"

"Yeah. I slept a lot. Sorry for what happened earlier. I…wasn't myself."

"At least you're all okay. That's all that matters," Jin said. He looked at the top of Temporal Tower. "That rift has gotten larger while you slept."

"So Kirito, what did you find during your scouting?" Zeke questioned the scouting team.

"It's pretty much a ghost town," Kirito explained. "The entire city is in shambles. Though that's not much of a surprise."

"We did find a way to Temporal Tower," Asuna added. "If we cut through the market square, we should reach the tower in fifteen minutes."

"I also detected a large group of monsters nearby," Yui spoke up. "We managed to avoid them, but they're probably still wandering the area as we speak."

Marth folded his arms as he leaned against the wall. "I doubt we'll have to worry about those monsters if we run into them. We've got a lot of heavy hitters here. I say we head straight for the tower. There's no point in delaying it since we have to go there."

Frank nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. Let's rest up for a few more minutes before heading out."

"I have something to add," Zeke spoke up. "A while ago, I had Akhos give me a status update on the rift. Not only is it increasing in power but Akhos also said that something seems to be trying to cross over through the rift. Something powerful."

"Well that's not terrifying whatsoever," Marth said sarcastically.

"Let's hurry and reach Temporal Tower before we find out whatever that something is," Mythra said.

Everyone agreed and they headed towards said tower. Right in front of Temporal Tower was a large group of monsters fighting against a small group of humans, which was none other than the remaining Alfheim Warriors.

"Klein!" Marth shouted in disbelief. "And Agil?!"

"Leafa! Thorrnn!" Kirito exclaimed.

"Sinon! Silica!" Yuuki cried out.

"Pina too!" Yui added with a smile.

"Liz and Celina too?" Asuna questioned.

"You guys know those people?" Ethan asked in confusion.

Marth nodded. "They're our friends and guildmates. We need to help them!"

Not waiting for a response, the fairies drew their weapons and ran to their friends' aid. The Alrestians quickly followed suit.

Klein was about to get struck by a monster's claw to the side when Kirito intervened and killed the monster with his swords.

"About time you guys showed up!" Klein said in mock impatience as he saw Marth, Yuuki and Asuna fight alongside the rest of the guild. "We've been fighting these guys nonstop for ten minutes."

"Well we're here now," Marth replied. "And with help."

"Huh?" Thorrnn noticed the Alrestians joining the fray. "Who are they? Why are there two of you?! And is that another me?!"

"Fight now, talk later," the blue-eyed Spriggan said.

"Uh, okay."

Together the Alfheim Warriors and the Alrestians managed to defeat all the monsters. They then had to do a long introduction between each other while also explaining the situation.

"So me and my brother have counterparts in this world?" Thorrnn asked.

"Looks that way," Meg said as she examined her counterpart. "I see we have the same taste in fashion. How skilled are you with fire?"

Thorrnn smiled with pride. "I mastered fire magic in about a week. It was super easy for me. What about you."

"About the same," the Flamebringer replied with a smirk.

Klaus cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. He then focused on Marth and Kirito. "Anyone else we should be looking for or is that it?"

Marth shook his head. "Nope, this is everyone."

"Let's just go inside and get this over with," Malos said impatiently. "The sooner you brats are gone, the sooner I can stop helping you."

"Rude much?" Celina asked.

"Ignore him," Mythra replied. "He's always like that."

"We've got a lot of people here," Frank pointed out. "We're almost like…"

"A raid group," Marth finished with a smile.

Frank nodded. "Yeah. We're like a raid group about to fight a boss in a video game. This is so cool."

Nia scoffed in annoyance. "Can you two stop making a big deal out of this? We've got more important things to do."

Both swordsmen scratched their heads in embarrassment. The group then entered the tower, where they were greeted by a large horde of giant toads.

"You have got to be kidding me?!" the Alrestians shouted in outrage.

Marth and Kirito, on the other hand, simply smirked in excitement.

"Thinking what I'm thinking?" the Dark Swordsman questioned.

"Whoever kills the most toads wins?" Kirito guessed. "You're on!"

Both Spriggans drew their swords and charged at the toads. The Alrestians watched in surprise as the duo began slaughtering monsters with ease.

"What are they doing?" Malos asked in exasperation.

"Competing," Lisbeth replied as if it was obvious. "They do this every time we run into a horde of enemies."

"Is it alright to let them do all the fighting?" Meg asked.

The Undine nodded. "Of course. Believe it or not, they actually enjoy this kind of stuff," Asuna answered.

Klein drew his katana. "Move over! I'm joining in!" the samurai exclaimed as he joined the fray, much to the spectators' dismay.

"No fair! I wanna fight too!" Yuuki said as she drew her sword and joined the fight.

"Talk about immature, right Frank?" Mythra said before looking to her right and saw that her Driver wasn't beside her anymore. Instead Frank had joined the fight, killing any toads he saw. "Seriously?!"

Malos chuckled in amusement. "You really know how to pick them, huh Mythra." The female Aegis promptly slapped him in the face, briefly leaving a red hand-shaped mark on his right cheek.

The others ended up joining the fight too, though only to make it end faster. After ten minutes, all the toads were slain. As usual, Marth and Kirito had an argument over who had the most kills but chose to call it a tie when their girlfriends threatened to leave them behind if they didn't stop.

Frank then took the opportunity to scan his surroundings. The tower looked to be in the same state of decay as Arc Sophia, with holes in the floor and ceiling. Everything was made of an unknown blue stone. The corridor they were in was large, with a questionably safe set of stairs leading up. Frank looked up and couldn't even see the roof of the tower.

"We have to go all the way up there?" the Aegis Driver said slowly.

"Yes. We will have to go through many floors to reach the tower's peak, all of which will have monsters guarding them," Klaus explained.

"You've got to be kidding me?!" Lisbeth exclaimed. "I can't even see the top! It'll take us forever to reach it!"

"Then we better get started," Zeke said.

The group then began the long, arduous climb to the top of Temporal Tower. They all sensed something ominous lurking in the tower, keeping them on edge.


	21. The Black Dragon

A few hours had passed since the group entered Temporal Tower. They had finally reached the halfway point of the tower and were resting from continuous stream of monsters and constant climbing.

"Who in the world thinks building a tower like this was a good idea?!" Yuuki complained. "It looks nowhere near as big on the outside! How'd they do that?"

"Magic," Zeke said, getting everyone's attention. "They used powerful magic to make the tower appear smaller than it actually is. I don't know why they did it, but they did."

"How do you know that?" Meg questioned. Even Malos was curious.

"I've been on this island before. There are ruins telling of Temporal Tower's construction, but not why it was built."

Marth had one arm on his knee. "Has anyone else noticed anything weird about this place, besides the scale of it?"

"What do you mean?" Nia asked.

"The monsters we've been fighting were a combination of those from our world and yours, but there are also monsters that none of us have ever seen before. One example is that Primordial that we fought in the forest."

Mythra nodded in agreement. "Yeah. And that last floor was full of dragons that looked strangely…humanoid. What's with that?"

"That is because those are phantoms of monsters from other worlds," Klaus explained. "You didn't seriously think that there were only two worlds, did you?"

Jin stared at the double doors at the end of the corridor in suspicion. In order for them to proceed, they'd have to go through that. "I sense something dark behind those doors," Jin warned. "We should proceed with caution."

The group finished resting and approached the doors, which like the previous floors, opened automatically when they got close. They then walked inside and found themselves in a large corridor, which was surprisingly empty.

"There's nothing here," Ethan said.

"Looks like you made a big deal out of nothing, Jin," Klein added.

"I did not," Jin retorted. "Something's wrong here."

"Yeah, yeah," Malos said impatiently. "Let's just get going."

As the male Aegis walked to the other side of the room, Marth sensed a dark presence, one that felt very familiar to him.

"Malos!" Marth shouted in warning as he ran to the male Aegis. "Wait!"

"Huh?" Malos said as suddenly the ground beneath him and Marth began to glow. Jin, Kirito, Nia, Leafa and Thorrnn all hurried to their aid, but the floor then vanished, causing them and the duo to scream as they fell.

Everyone that was left called out their names in worry before the floor reappeared, separating the two groups.

"What just happened?" Ethan asked in concern.

Asuna suddenly gasped. "Kirito and the others fell into a trap to separate us. There's only one person I know who uses _that_ trap to kill people."

A cynical laugh filled the air. "You're as sharp as ever, Lightning Flash," said a voice. A man in a black cloak appeared in the center of the room. He held a meat cleaver, and on his right glove was a symbol the SAO Survivors knew all too well.

Asuna gritted her teeth in anger. "PoH, leader of Laughing Coffin."

PoH gave the group a mock bow. "A pleasure to see you all again. I've been waiting here for you all for ages now. Or more specifically, for Marth."

"What do you mean?" Frank demanded while reaching for his sword.

"I'm sure Marth has told you all about how he hunted me and my guild during our time in Sword Art Online. It's because of him that Laughing Coffin was destroyed, and my guildmates were imprisoned." PoH smirked evilly. "So I'm going to make him suffer by destroying everything that he holds dear."

"And how do you plan to do that?" Frank said bitterly as he gripped his sword.

"First I'll kill the girl he loves, then I'll kill his friends," PoH replied. "Love makes people weak, and once Marth loses everything, he will know the pain I felt when I lost Laughing Coffin."

Yuuki's eyes flared in anger as she drew her sword. "You may talk tough, but that's all it is! I don't go down so easily, and I won't let you hurt anyone else again!"

PoH looked unfazed from the threat. "Let's see if you can back that up, Absolute Sword." As he drew his sword, monsters surrounded the group, but completely ignored the Laughing Coffin leader. "I bet you're all wondering why I'm not surrounded by monsters, but you are. Simple, I made a deal their king, my loyalty for power."

"You sided with these things for power?!" Frank exclaimed in rage as the rest of the group drew their weapons.

"Of course. I was also promised a chance to fight Marth one-on-one. I'd tell you why, but you're all going to be dead anyway. Now then, kill them all!"

The monsters charged at the group, the clashing of weapons echoed through the air.

**Meanwhile**

Marth and the others had finally hit reached the ground, with Marth and Kirito comically landing on top of Malos.

Marth held his head and said, "Where are we?"

"Well, we just fell down a trap hole, so I'd say we're at the bottom of the pit," Kirito replied nonchalantly.

Marth glared at his fellow Spriggan. "Gee, thank you Captain Obvious, that was _so_ helpful," the Dark Swordsman said sarcastically.

"My pleasure," the Black Swordsman said with a fake smile.

"Get…off…me…now!?" Malos shouted with increased frustration as he was still pinned to the ground by the two fairies on his back.

The duo quickly got off the male Aegis, before everyone else rose to their feet. They were in a small corridor with dark pathways all around them.

"What was with that trap back there?" Leafa asked. "Was it some sort of defense mechanism?"

Marth shook his head. "If that was true, then why was that the first trap we encountered here? That wasn't a trap left by the builders, but someone else entirely."

Nia folded her arms. "Who then?"

"PoH, the Leader of Laughing Coffin," Marth said grimly. "It was his specialty to use traps like that to separate party members in dungeons to kill them more easily back in SAO."

Kirito's eyes flashed with anger. "So he's here too. We have to get back to the others. PoH's probably fighting them right now. We need to help them."

"How do you propose we get back?" Jin asked. "Each of these passageways look identical, and we don't even know where they all lead nor have the time to try them all."

"I've got a way," Marth said with a slight smirk.

"What is it?" Malos questioned.

Suddenly Marth activated Wolf Heart and changed into his wolf form, shocking the Alrestians. Kirito smirked as he realized his partner's intentions.

"Of course," Kirito explained. "Your wolf form enhances your tracking abilities. Nice thinking, Marth."

Marth barked in acknowledgement before sniffing the air. Soon he caught the scent of their friends and led them down a hallway. Along the way, they were attacked by monsters along the way, but the group easily dispatched them, as well as showing that Marth was just as deadly in wolf form as he is in his Spriggan form. The group eventually found themselves outside the corridor where their friends were.

"Sounds like a fight's going on in there," Malos said as he heard the sound of weapons clashing on the other side.

Marth then growled in anger as he sensed a familiar dark presence.

"Are you okay?" Thorrnn asked her brother in concern.

The wolf didn't respond, and instead ran to the door.

**Meanwhile**

Frank and the others were getting overwhelmed by the hordes of monsters. Every time one monster fell, two more took its place. Yuuki and Asuna were locked in combat with PoH, trying desperately to keep him away from the injured Silica as Sonum and Dromarch healed her. Both Yuuki and Asuna were exhausted and covered in cuts. Frank had summoned Roc to allow Mythra to recover while he battled against multiple monsters at once.

Roc unleashed a Doom Wind, sending three monsters flying into the wall, killing them, and Frank swung his dual scythes against another, landing a fatal blow. Unfortunately, the Driver was slowly being overcome with fatigue, leaving him vulnerable to a monster slashing its claws at his back, knocking the Driver to the ground. His scythes skidded a few feet away from him.

"Frank!" Mythra exclaimed in worry before she fell to her knees as Frank's injuries reflected onto her.

Frank watched as the monster raised its claw to finish him off. "I don't think so!?" Roc exclaimed as he retrieved his scythes and sucked the monster into a tornado, sending it flying into the air. The Blade then finished it off with his scythes as it fell to the ground.

"Thanks Roc," Frank said as he got to his knees. "Can you keep going, Mythra?"

The Aegis nodded. "Yeah. I won't let a few scratches bring me down."

They both rose to their feet, the Aegis Sword appearing in Frank's hands in the process. Frank kept Roc out, wanting as much help as possible. Mythra used Foresight to predict the enemies' attacks, allowing her Driver to counter them.

Meg and Brighid fought side-by-side, each wielding a whipsword. Meg blocked one monster's slash with her sword, leaving it open for Brighid to defeat it. Another two monsters tried attacking them from behind, but Ethan and Agil quickly killed the monsters before they had a chance. Ethan and Poppi then unleashed Quantum Judgement. Ethan began by doing a downward slash on one monster, cleaving it in half, before following it up with a spin attack. He then tossed the saber to Poppi, who jumped in and cut the remaining monsters near them to ribbons in a series of slashes.

Klein, Celina and Lisbeth chose to protect Sinon, as she wasn't good with close combat due to being a bow-user, from any monsters that chose to attack the Cait Sith. Zeke mainly focused on protecting Klaus, which thanks to his lightning-fast speed, was easy to do.

Dissatisfied that the fight was going on longer than expected, PoH shouted, "Enough!?" The Laughing Coffin leader released a dark shockwave that knocked the group off their feet. They all struggled to get up, though Zeke was able to get on one knee.

"How did he do that?!" Klein questioned in slight terror.

PoH smiled cynically. "One of the benefits of serving the master of darkness. Now then," He approached Yuuki, who was lying on the ground, "Time for you to die, Absolute Sword."

Yuuki braced for the attack as PoH swung his cleaver to finish the Imp off, when suddenly a black wolf tackled the Red Player to the ground. Yuuki opened her eyes and saw Marth standing in front of her as he grabbed PoH's right leg in his jaws and threw him a good distance away from her.

Marth then changed back into his Spriggan form and glanced back at his girlfriend. "Sorry I'm late."

The Absolute Sword smiled with relief. "You're right on time." Yuuki then noticed Jin coming to Frank's aid as a monster tried to attack the downed Aegis Driver. Kirito and the others were busy helping the rest of their comrades.

Soon the monsters stopped moving, giving everyone a brief pause. Marth used that time to focus on PoH.

"Long time no see, PoH," the Spriggan said coldly. "I was hoping our paths would cross again. Now I can finally avenge all the lives you've taken."

"I am not so sure, Marth," PoH replied. "Or should I address you as 'the Dark Swordsman'? You and I have a score to settle."

Marth, however, remained silent.

PoH smiled in victory. "Honestly, I'm surprised you still use _that_ sword." He pointed at Marth's Lunara, which the swordsman had drawn, along with Solaris. "Doesn't it bring back all the memories of you killing my guildmates with it? I bet you tried to forget that you even did it. But you can't escape your past so easily. It's time for you to face what you've done."

The Alrestians and most of the Alfheim Warriors were silent.

_This man must pay for his atrocities,_ an unknown voice said in the Dark Swordsman's head.

Marth silently gasped as he glanced around him, trying to find the source. _"Who said that?"_ the Spriggan questioned before feeling a sharp pain in his chest and a strong sense of rage from within but managed to keep his composure.

_You have the power to silence him,_ the voice continued. _Unleash it and show him just how strong you are._

_"Who…who are you?"_ Marth said in his head before he unconsciously began to activate Dragon Soul against his better judgement.

The voice didn't answer.

PoH then said, "What's the matter? _Wolf_ got your tongue?"

"Are you through with this crap, PoH?" Marth said coldly.

Not expecting that answer, PoH said, "What was that?"

"While it is true that I did kill during the crusade against Laughing Coffin, and I did have to deal with the horror of it eventually, I never once regretted it. I've played your games more times than I can count, PoH, but this time you won't get away." Marth pointed the tip of Lunara threateningly at the Laughing Coffin leader. "It's time to settle the score, once and for all."

PoH appeared to be disappointed, though it was hard to tell with his face being covered by his hood. "What a shame. I guess my master was right. No matter what happens, you'll always be a hero in the end. Minions, kill them all!"

The monsters prepared to advance on the group when suddenly Marth was surrounded by a dark aura as his Dragon Soul's power took effect, halting their movements.

"What the…?" PoH said in shock.

"You won't be hurting anyone else!" Marth declared as darkness surrounded him, spreading terror among the monsters. "This time, I won't hold back!"

Everyone watched as Marth began growing black scales and a tail. His body grew larger as wings sprouted from his back. Horns appeared on the back of his head and neck. Marth then let out a roar as his transformation into a dragon completed. The Alrestians were naturally surprised at seeing the transformation, but the Alfheim Warriors were all nervous.

"No," Asuna said slowly.

"This isn't good," Kirito added.

"Mind telling us what the heck happened to Marth?!" Frank questioned fiercely.

"Marth has the ability to change into a wolf and a dragon," Yuuki explained with a nervous look on her face. "They're called Wolf Heart and Dragon Soul respectively. His wolf form is swift and strong, while his dragon form is both durable and super powerful. Nothing has ever been able to beat them. The only problem is that Marth can't fully control his Dragon Soul. I can't believe he would unleash it now of all times."

The Aegis Driver gasped in shock. "No way. It's that powerful?!"

One unfortunate monster foolishly charged at Marth, who simply clasped the monster with his teeth before hurling it into the wall, killing it. Another monster rushed at him, but the dragon cut it to ribbons with his claws. Marth then let out a mighty roar.

PoH unexpectantly sneered. "Interesting. I never would've expected you to have _that_ power. I guess I'll just have to even things out." Suddenly PoH was surrounded by shadows. When the darkness parted, in PoH's place was a dragon with navy-blue scales and black markings.

Everyone was shocked, including the black dragon.

"Impossible," Klein said in disbelief.

"There's no way," Celina added. "How can PoH _have_ that power too?!"

"You're not the only one capable of Dragon Soul, Marth," PoH explained. "Thanks to my master, we are now equal in power, but unlike you, I can remain in control of it."

Marth growled in defiance as his eyes flared with fury. Both dragons then roared at each other in challenge before ramming their heads together. A barrier of darkness then separated them from the monsters and the group.

"Crap," Kirito said as he tried at slashing the wall with his swords, but they simply bounced off it. "We have to help Marth! If he loses control…"

"It's no use, Kirito," Asuna told her boyfriend. "PoH said he was promised a one-on-one fight with Marth. We can't interfere."

The Black Swordsman turned towards the Undine. "But, Asuna, you're the only one who can stop Marth if he goes berserk. You need to start chanting the Lost in Thoughts spell before he does."

Asuna quickly sensed danger and immediately turned and killed a monster that tried to attack the duo while they were talking. "I'm sorry, Kirito, but there are too many monsters here for me to try using it because of how long the chant is," she said grimly. "I'm afraid Marth's on his own this time."

Kirito gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damn it," he cursed before glancing at his partner, who was locked in a fierce combat with the Laughing Coffin member.

"Don't give in, Marth," Kirito muttered desperately under his breath. "Don't let the dragon control you."

The duo hurried to their aid, as did Jin and Nia. Meanwhile Marth continued fighting PoH alone, with neither one giving in. Both dragons clawed at each other and smashed each other into the walls and floor.

"You've gotten stronger, Marth," PoH remarked. "But you still won't win against me."

Marth then let out a pained grunt as he felt himself losing control again. _"No… not now,"_ the Dark Swordsman thought to himself. _"I just gotta… hang on a bit longer."_

Marth then unleashed a breath of black fire. The flames collided with the navy dragon, pushing it back a few feet. When the flames parted, it revealed an unharmed PoH.

"Is that all you've got?" PoH mocked.

Suddenly Marth's eyes turned purple as the black dragon's fury overwhelmed his senses, causing him to let out a feral roar.

Yuuki, who was fighting one of the monsters, heard the roar and turned towards her boyfriend. "Marth," she said in worry.

The two dragons charged at each other again. Marth recklessly slashed at PoH, who easily evaded the attacks and bit into his neck, causing the black dragon to roar in pain. PoH then proceeded to throw Marth into the barrier, causing dark energy to overflow through his body and making Marth feel immense pain before collapsing on the ground.

"Marth!" Kirito and Yuuki shouted in worry.

"Brother!" Thorrnn cried out as she watched the black dragon try to pick himself back up but failed.

PoH let out a sinister chuckle as he held his opponent down with one claw. "How disappointing," the Laughing Coffin leader remarked. "To think that you would lose to the dragon's fury so quickly. I expected more out of you, Dark Swordsman."

Marth simply let out a weak growl as he closed his eyes before finding himself sinking into the darkness of his mind.

_"It's no use,"_ the Dark Swordsman thought. _"I can't beat PoH, even with Dragon Soul. What do I do now?"_

Suddenly Marth heard Kirito shout, "Don't give up, Marth!"

_"Kirito?"_

"Get up, Marth!" Asuna shouted.

"Don't you dare lose to a guy like PoH!" Sinon exclaimed.

"C'mon, bud, fight back!" Klein added.

"You're the wielder of Lunara and Solaris!" Celina cried out as she blocked a monster's attack with her shield. "You can still win this. I know you can!"

"Marth, please get up!" Thorrnn pleaded. "Remember your promise!"

"Come on, Marth!" Yuuki shouted. "Take him down!"

Marth could also hear the rest of the Alfheim Warriors also calling out to him.

_Your friends haven't given up on you,_ a voice said.

"That voice," Marth said slowly, recognizing it to be the same voice from before. "Who are you? Where are you?"

Suddenly a black dragon with golden eyes appeared before the Spriggan. The dragon was bipedal, had two sets of wings on its back, horns on the back of its neck and a trident-shaped tail (based off of the Mirror Force Dragon from Yugioh.)

_I am Critias,_ the dragon replied. _I am the one who entrusted you with the power of Dragon Soul. Now then, are you going to let your friends down or will you fight back?_

"Of course I'll fight back!" Marth declared. "I can't let things end here! Critias, lend me your power so I can beat him."

The dragon appeared to crack a toothy smile, or at least what Marth assumed to be a smile. _You already have it,_ Critias said. _Remember the bonds you share with your friends and you will maintain control of my power. Now rise and fight back!_

"I will!" Marth exclaimed in determination as dark light radiated from him.

Back in the real world, Marth's body began emitting dark light, forcing PoH off of him.

"What the?!" the Laughing Coffin leader said in confusion.

Everyone watched as the black dragon rose to his feet and took on the appearance of Critias.

"No way," Frank said in disbelief.

"Marth's dragon form just changed," Klaus added.

Marth then opened his eyes, revealing them to be gold once more before letting out a mighty roar.

"I'm ba-ack!" Marth declared, his voice containing an echo.

PoH's eyes widened in surprise. "No. It can't be. You…"

"Gained control of Dragon Soul, you bet I did," the black dragon finished. "Now then, I believe it's payback time."

PoH let out a growl. "We'll see. Die, Marth!"

The navy dragon charged at the bipedal dragon, but Marth easily dodged before grabbing PoH by the neck with his claws and tossed him into the wall, injuring the Laughing Coffin leader before collapsing.

"Impossible," PoH said in shock as he struggled to pick himself up. "I can't lose to you!?"

_This phantom is on his last legs,_ Critias spoke up. _Finish him off._

_Very well._ The black dragon let out a growl. "It's over for you, PoH!" Marth then unleashed a massive stream of black fire and purple lightning at the navy dragon. The attack created a smoke cloud, and once it cleared, it revealed Poh in his human form. He was covered head to toe with cuts and burns. It was clear that the Laughing Coffin leader was on death's door.

Suddenly the monsters all dissolved into shadows as Marth returned to his Spriggan form, revealing that he was covered in injuries, but they were quickly healing. The dark barrier also vanished, prompting the group to hurry to Marth. Frank also recalled Roc.

"That's six lives you've taken, Marth," PoH remarked as his body began to dissolve into shadowy light. "Killing me will not bring you peace. It will destroy you."

Marth, however, looked unfazed and stayed silent. Surprisingly, PoH then laughed cynically.

"What's so funny?" Kirito questioned.

"I am but the weakest of the master's servants," PoH explained. "Even if you reach the spire, you will never return to your world. _He'll_ stop you, and he'll kill all of you."

"What?" Frank exclaimed. "Who are you talking about?!"

"You'll find out soon," PoH said. "Have fun dying." And with that, the leader of Laughing Coffin closed his eyes before his body vanished in dark light. No trace of him was left, not even his meat cleaver.

The air grew tense as PoH's last words rang in the group's ears.

"What did PoH mean by, ' _he'll_ stop us'?" Sonum asked nervously. "What's waiting for us at Temporal Spire?"

"Who knows," Zeke said. "He might have been trying to unnerve us. But we should still remain on-guard."

Yuuki eyed her boyfriend with a smile. "You did it, Marth," the Absolute Sword said. "You brought that monster to justice."

"No, I didn't," Marth said solemnly, surprising everyone.

"What do you mean you didn't?" Lisbeth questioned. "We all saw you kill PoH with our own eyes."

"That wasn't PoH," Marth explained. "That was just a phantom based on him, just like all the other enemies we've faced on this island. The real PoH is still in our world, alive."

"No way," Yuuki said in disbelief before perking up. "But hey, at least you finally mastered Dragon Soul. That transformation you did was awesome."

The Dark Swordsman gave his girlfriend a light smile. "Yeah, it was."

_"Thank you for your help, Critias,"_ Marth said in his head before facing the others. "We can't just stand around here all day. Let's keep going."

"Yeah!" everyone agreed, with Pina adding a screech. However, no one noticed Klaus staring at the Dark Swordsman in surprise.

_"There's no doubt about it now,"_ Klaus thought to himself. _"It_ is _him. After all these years, I've finally found him."_


	22. Return of the Demon King

The group had finally reached the final floor of Temporal Tower, with the spire being a stone's throw away, standing in front of the stairs leading up. The fights had become much harder the higher they went. Not only did the group have to battle monsters, but the Tower's guardians as well. Klaus explained that the guardians were meant to keep monsters out of the tower, but after the fall of Arc Sophia, the guardians were corrupted by the darkness and joined the monsters.

Both Marth and Frank felt very uneasy about being so close to the spire.

Meg noticed this and asked, "Brother, Marth, are you feeling alright? We can take a break if you need to."

They both shook their heads. "I'm okay. It's just," Frank said while holding his right arm with his left, "I feel a dark presence above us, and it's super powerful."

"You sense it too?" Zeke questioned.

"I do too," Marth added. "Do you have any idea what it could be?"

The masked Torna leader nodded. "I have a hunch on who it is but pray that I am mistaken. If I'm not, then none of us will probably get out of here alive."

"Great," Ethan said in mock excitement. "I just _love_ going to my own death."

Poppi slapped her Driver upside the head. "That is not helping morale, Ethan. Try to keep those comments to yourself."

Ethan winced from the pain. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry! It slipped."

The corridor went silent. "Let's go," Frank said finally.

The group proceeded up the staircase. Soon they found themselves on Temporal Spire. Ruined stone columns made of the same stone were scattered everywhere. In the center of the spire was an altar. Above the group was a colossal black vortex swirling around a purple crack in the sky, emitting lightning of the same color.

Suddenly Marth tensed up as he sensed a dark presence. "Someone's here!" he growled.

"Finally," a voice boomed. "You have arrived at last, Marth, Mythra."

"Who said that?!" Thorrnn shouted as she scanned the area. "Show yourself!"

A man in a black cloak appeared in front of the altar. He had a hood over his face and appeared to be unarmed, but he also had a threatening aura around him.

"Who are you?!" Malos demanded as he drew his sword.

The man chuckled. "I am Jarrod, the Demon King, and the second in command of Zeta, the God of Darkness. I have been waiting a long time for this moment."

Marth gasped as he recalled the name. _"It can't be him. It's impossible."_

Frank's eyes widened. "Did you just say 'Jarrod'? Are you the same Jarrod who bullied me and my friends back on Earth?"

"Oh, goodness no. That boy isn't related to me in the slightest! I am much worse than some school bully." Jarrod removed his hood, revealing his midnight-black hair and glowing red eyes.

"What do you want?!" Kirito exclaimed.

"It's a long story. Long ago, when there was only one world, my master wished to plunge it in shadow," Jarrod explained. "He succeeded and laid the land to ruin. However, the mortals were too stubborn to accept defeat and tried desperately to defeat the Army of Shadow. Eventually a young man, a girl, and their friends climbed up this very tower in an attempt to destroy my master, and free their world from the darkness. The young man carried a sword of light and shadow, and with the help of the girl, landed the final blow to kill Zeta. However, Zeta was cunning. In his final moments, Zeta used what little remained of his power and split his soul into fragments, scattering them across time, allowing him to go into slumber and conquer multiple worlds when he regained his strength.

"I was there watching as he learned of my master's intent. The boy refused to have other worlds suffer the same fate as his, so he used his power to split his own soul into fragments, allowing him to be reborn in many worlds to fight against Zeta when he awakened. His name…was Zane, now known only as the Twilight Hero. And those two," Jarrod gestured to Marth and Frank, "are two of his reincarnations."

"What?!" the group shouted in shock.

"We're…Zane's…reincarnations?" Marth stuttered.

"The girl, also known as Celine, the Dawn Priestess, then split her soul as well. She cared deeply for Zane and refused to let him face my master alone. Two of her reincarnations are here as well." He gestured to Mythra and Yuuki. "Though they go by different names and look very different, they are two of Celine's reincarnations."

Once more, the group was shocked.

"That can't be?!" Mythra retorted. "I'm not a human! I'm a Blade! Blades aren't born the same way as humans!"

Jarrod laughed cynically. "When it comes to magic, anything is possible. It matters not what you are, the soul remains the same. However, before Zane split his soul, he discovered me watching and sealed me in the Sword of Twilight, so I couldn't help my master. For millennia, I was trapped in the Lunaris. But in the World of SAO… something unexpected happened. The sword split in two, becoming the Lunara and Solaris."

"What?!" Marth exclaimed in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

"The Lunaris is bound to its champion," Jarrod explained. "It will always alter itself to match the champion's fighting style in that world so that he can use it. The reason the sword split in your world, Marth, is because of your «Dual-Wielding» skill. In fact, I should thank you for that. The seal keeping me trapped in the sword was weakened when it became the Lunara, and when you came to retrieve it…"

The Dark Swordsman's eyes widened in realization. "You were let out. So it _is_ you. I remember that me, Kirito, Asuna, Klein, and Yuuki fought you at the Temple of Twilight. But you should be dead. I killed you myself!"

"True, you did kill my physical form, or should I say my virtual form, but my spirit survived and found it's way here. It was then that I found out that remnants of Lord Zeta's power remain in the spire. It allowed me to regenerate my body, and I could begin preparations for my master's return."

"What are you talking about?!" Jin demanded. "I thought you said your master was gone."

"But remember, I said that Lord Zeta was not slain. He currently sleeps, slowly regaining his strength so that he can bring destruction once more. By sacrificing certain souls, I can use the power remaining in Temporal Tower to hasten Zeta's return, so he can destroy this world."

Marth gritted his teeth. "And what souls do you need to sacrifice?" he asked, already guessing the answer.

"The soul remnants of the Twilight Hero and the Dawn Priestess would do nicely," Jarrod explained. "However, though their spirits are powerful, not all Remnants are equal in power. You see, when Zane and Celine split their spirits, they unintentionally weakened themselves. This also caused an imbalance of power between their soul fragments. Here's an example: while Mythra, Celine's Alrestian Remnant, is exceptionally powerful, however Yuuki is much weaker than her. Another is that Frank is not as powerful as Mythra, despite being from the same world as her. That power difference is what kept me from capturing the both of them, since it wasn't enough to awaken my master. To make up for this, I used Temporal Tower, which is connected to all worlds, to search the dimensions, looking for any other Twilight Remnants of the hero who is equal in power to the Aegis. When I found the Remnant you know as Marth, who met such requirements, I used the tower to create a rift between his world and this one to bring him here, though it also had the unintended effect of bringing his friends here as well."

"You're the one who created the spacial rift!?" Frank shouted in anger.

"But of course. I knew that once Gleam Eyes was slain, that Marth had arrived. However, instead of trying to capture him and Mythra, I chose to let them come to me. Once I offer up their souls, I can unite Zeta's Remnants that dwell within the two worlds, allowing him to awaken once more."

"You're insane if you think we'll help you with your crazy plan!" Mythra retorted.

"Yeah!" Yuuki added. "I won't let you sacrifice my boyfriend or Mythra!"

Jarrod smirked. "Who said I was giving you a choice?"

Suddenly a dark magic circle appeared below the group. Marth and Mythra, out of pure instinct, back flipped away from the circle, while everyone else was consumed by an explosion of black energy. The Dark Swordsman and the Aegis watched in horror as the dust cleared and revealed the others on lying on the ground, unable to move.

"No!" Marth and Mythra shouted in dread.

Jarrod laughed cynically. "Very impressive, Marth, Mythra. I should've expected as much since you are equal in power. That gives me more of a challenge trying to capture you both. I do love a good challenge."

Marth gritted his teeth as he faced the Aegis. "You up for a fight?"

Mythra simply smirked as her Aegis Sword appeared in her right hand. "Of course. We can't let him get away with this."

Marth drew his swords and charged at the demon, with Mythra close behind. Jarrod quickly summoned a large two-handed sword, as well as covered himself in crimson-red armor, and quickly parried the duo's attacks. Marth then fired a blast of lightning from Lunara, but Jarrod easily dodged it.

"This'll be tough," Marth said.

"Well, what did you expect?" Mythra replied. "He did incapacitate our friends with a single attack."

Suddenly Jarrod fired a barrage of dark magic missiles at the duo, but Mythra protected them with her defense barrier, causing Marth to gasp in surprise.

_"That barrier, it's just like the one that protected me in GGO,"_ the Dark Swordsman realized. _"But how can that be?"_

Unfortunately, Mythra lowered her barrier too soon, causing a stray missile to hit her right in the stomach, forcing her to her knees.

"Mythra!" Frank exclaimed in worry before he felt the injury reflect onto him.

"One down," Jarrod remarked. "Now for you, Dark Swordsman!" Jarrod fired another barrage of dark magic missiles at the duo.

Suddenly Marth got in front of Mythra and readied Lunara while also putting Solaris back in its scabbard.

"What are you doing?" Mythra questioned.

Marth simply smirked. "Just watch." Marth swung Lunara around a few times before resting it on his shoulders, prompting the blade to glow blue, as he activated «Deadly Sins». When the nearest projectile was in range, Marth swung Lunara down at it, cutting through the base of the spell. He then spun before slashing through several more projectiles. He concluded the Sword Skill by performing a backflip and cutting through the remaining projectiles with Lunara.

Everyone, minus Kirito, who grinned, was shocked at the sight as smoke enveloped the Dark Swordsman, who retained his confident smirk.

"He cut through spells," Asuna said in disbelief.

"How is that possible?" Ethan asked.

Even Jarrod was stunned. "How did you do that?"

"Easy," Marth replied confidently. "Compared to a bullet from a high-powered rifle, knocking down high-speed spells is nothing." He turned around and offered his free hand to Mythra. "This isn't over yet. Let's put this guy in his place."

The Aegis smirked before taking Marth's hand, allowing the Spriggan to help her to her feet. "You read my mind."

The others were still in recovery from Jarrod's spell, so all they could do was watch.

"Jarrod is powerful, as well as his defenses," Mythra said as Marth redrew Solaris. "But if we can land a strong enough blow that can pierce through his armor, that should be the end of him."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go!"

Marth and Mythra charged at the Demon King, but he forced them back with magical explosions. One of the explosions also caused the stone floor underneath Marth to crumble, causing him to fall in.

"Marth!" Yuuki shouted in worry.

Suddenly Marth flew out of the hole, black Spriggan wings on his back.

"You can fly?!" Mythra exclaimed in shock as the Spriggan landed next to her.

Marth looked over his shoulders and noticed his wings before they disappeared. "Yeah, in ALO, everyone can fly. I didn't think it would work here though, not that I'm complaining." An idea then appeared in Marth's head. However, before he could share it with the Aegis, they had to hide behind a stone pillar to avoid a dark energy beam from Jarrod.

"I just realized something. If I can access my ALO powers, maybe I can access my avatars from other games."

"Well what are you waiting for? Give it a try!"

Marth closed his eyes as he focused his thoughts of his time in GGO. Suddenly the Dark Swordsman was surrounded by silver light. His hair turned silver and grew to waist length, while his face became more feminine. His overcoat gained a silver chestplate while also having its colors inverted. Lunara morphed into a silver deactivated photon sword while Solaris disappeared. An FN-97 then appeared in a holster that was strapped to Marth's waist. Marth then opened his eyes, which were a sapphire-blue.

"Uh," Mythra said in astonishment. "Did you just switch genders?"

Marth examined himself before answering. "No," his voice was a little higher pitched too. "I'm still a guy. This is my avatar from GGO. It just looks very feminine."

"I bet that was fun," Mythra said with a mischievous smirk.

Marth groaned. "More like a pain. Guys constantly kept hitting on me. It got super annoying real quick. Anyway," he activated his photon sword, revealing a silver energy blade while drawing his firearm with his other hand, "we have a fight to finish."

The duo then charged at Jarrod, who was shocked at Marth's appearance change. "You're stronger than I thought, Marth. You've learned how to access your different abilities in the heat of battle. Most impressive."

Jarrod then unleashed a barrage of dark spells at the duo. Marth smirked as he saw red path lines for each of the spells.

_"So I can also use abilities like Bullet Prediction Lines too,"_ Marth commented. _"Cool."_

He proceeded to cut through the spells with his photon sword while Mythra used Foresight to avoid the spells. They soon closed the distance between them and the Demon King.

Jarrod attempted to raise his sword in defense, but Marth fired a round from his gun, hitting the demon's shoulder and allowing Mythra to strike the demon with Lightning Buster, which was a downward slash followed by a spin attack.

"I won't lose here!" Jarrod proclaimed. "Not when I'm so close!"

Mythra then fired a particle beam from her Artifice down on the demon, stunning him, as well as knocking his sword away. The Demon King's armor was covered with cracks.

"Too bad," Marth said as he switched to his SAO avatar. Lunara reappeared and his gun was replaced by Light Repulser. "But that's exactly what's going to happen. Starburst Stream!"

Marth then unleashed the devastating 21-hit Sword Skill on the demon, making deep gashes in the demon's chest and destroying what remained of his armor.

Jarrod promptly fell to his knees as he struggled to breathe. "Impossible. H-how could I lose?"

"You made the mistake of underestimating us," Mythra remarked as Marth returned to his ALO avatar, regaining Solaris.

Their comrades soon rose to their feet. They all praised the duo for defeating the Demon King on their own. In their relief to see their friends' alright, Marth and Mythra failed to see Jarrod slowly approach the altar.

"How?" Jarrod said as he clutched his wounded side. "This was not supposed to happen. I was to use Marth and Mythra to revive my master and plunge this world into despair."

Marth overheard this and scoffed. "Don't you know anything?" he said. "The future isn't set in stone. We make our own destiny, not let someone else choose it for us."

The Demon King growled in frustration. "It seems I have no choice. If I cannot offer up you and the Aegis, then I will use a substitute instead!"

"What do you mean?" Zeke questioned fiercely.

Suddenly a barrier surrounded the altar, preventing the group from attacking the demon. They could only watch as Jarrod was being consumed in dark fire.

"What's he doing?" Silica asked in fear.

"No," Klaus said, horror etched in his voice. "Jarrod's offering his own soul to revive his master. He must be stopped now!?"

Despite their best efforts, no one in the group could break through the barrier, not even Marth and Mythra, who were both using their full power. A pillar of dark light shot out of the altar, straight to the vortex's core. The group had to shield their eyes to avoid from being blinded by the intense light.

"Lord Zeta," Jarrod chanted. "Accept my offering and be free to wreak havoc on this world. Plunge it into despair and crush anyone who resists."

The Demon King's body then disappeared, as did the pillar of light. However, the vortex grew stronger as the rift began to open. The sky grew dark as two orbs of dark red light descended to the altar, before the orbs merged into one. A man in black armor, which seemed to be made of hardened darkness, then emerged from the shadows of the altar. His eyes were pure black with not a single trace of light in them. Draped on his back was a crimson red cape. Strapped to his waist was a large black sword.

"At last," the man boomed. "After thousands of years, I am finally free!"

Marth gripped his swords tightly. "He's here," the Spriggan said, fear on the edge of his voice. "Zeta, the God of Darkness."

Zeta let out a cynical laugh as he looked directly at Marth and the other Remnants. "Well, well. Long time no see, Zane, Celine. Now then…prepare to die!?" Zeta prepared to unleash a large beam of dark energy on the four.

**To be continued**


	23. The Aegis and the Dragon

Marth and the others were barely able to dodge Zeta's attack, which instead reduced several stone pillars to rubble. Zeta wasn't finished as he smashed his sword into the ground, sending a shockwave towards the group. The Blades (except Malos) combined their defense barriers to protect everyone while Marth and Thorrnn enforced it with the spells «Stormveil» and «Fire Wall» respectively, but the shockwave ended up destroying the merged barrier, knocking them all back.

"What… power," Ethan said slowly.

"Man, we're so dead," Agil added.

Marth and Frank, however, charged at the god. Zeta easily parried the Dark Swordsman's attacks with his sword, while Frank used that time to strike the god's legs with the Aegis Sword but was shocked when Zeta quickly countered him as well.

"How?" Frank said in disbelief as he and Marth quickly jumped back to avoid the dark god's sword.

Zeta chuckled, his voice having an echo. "I am a god. I cannot be defeated by mortals like you."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Marth said as they clashed blades. "But I recall your second-in-command stating that we did beat you before."

"That was when your soul was whole," Zeta explained. "As Zane, you possessed immense power that rivaled my own, as did Celine. I am a different case, however. While I myself am a Remnant like you, I possess two parts of my soul, restoring some of my lost power, making it greater than yours. Though you and Mythra are powerful Remnants, you still cannot match my strength."

Marth's body was then surrounded by an electric aura. "Wanna bet?" Marth retorted before raising Lunara skyward. "Mjolnir's Wrath!"

Suddenly storm clouds began to gather above the pillar. Several bolts of purple lightning rained down on the Dark God, who shielded himself with a dark barrier. The barrier cracked upon impact before it eventually shattered, creating a smoke cloud that covered the spire. The smoke quickly cleared, revealing a mostly unharmed Zeta, though it was clear the attack had left an impact on him. Purple electricity sparked out of the Dark God's body as he had some trouble moving, but quickly recovered.

Zeta then sneered at the Dark Swordsman, who still had lightning around him. "Is that the best you can do?" he taunted.

Sinon gritted her teeth in frustration. "That's just great," the blue-haired Cait Sith said. "He just took one of Marth's strongest attacks like it was nothing. How are we supposed to beat him?"

"You can't," Zeta answered simply before he unleashed another shockwave, sending the group flying backward. Zeta then fired a barrage of dark energy blasts at the group, injuring them even further.

Nia, Sonum and Asuna quickly used healing moves on their comrades. Zeta fired a shadow beam from his sword in an attempt to stop them, but Meg, Brighid and Thorrnn protected them with a wall of fire. Mythra then sent a particle beam down on the god, damaging him somewhat.

"Nice shot," Frank praised.

"Thanks," Mythra replied. She then activated Foresight, allowing her and Frank to predict Zeta's next attack, which was a charge towards them. Frank was able to block Zeta's attack with his sword, but the impact forced him to his knees.

Meg and Brighid quickly unleased Soulfire, forcing the dark god away from the Flamebringer's brother. Sinon shot a volley of fire arrows at the god, with some slipping through some of the weak points of his armor. The arrows soon disappeared as Klein, Agil and Malos charged at Zeta. Zeta easily parried their attacks, however, Zeke managed to slash at the god's back with his sword while he was distracted.

Zeta grunted in pain before turning to face the masked man. "Well, well," he said. "I didn't expect to see you here, not after what happened from our last encounter. How is _she_ , by the way?" Zeta had a cynical sneer on his face.

Zeke's eyes flared with rage. "You'll regret mentioning her!" he declared as he readied his sword. Zeke then charged at Zeta, sparks flying as their weapons clashed.

Zeta knocked the Torna leader aside and saw Marth charging at him. Marth promptly jumped in the air, clashing his Lunara against Zeta's as the former descended. The Spriggan, unable to overpower his foe, back flipped away, before landing gracefully on the ground. Marth then saw Zeta charge at him, sword raised. The Dark Swordsman barely managed to dodge the first attack before blocking the second with his swords. They each stood there, trying to overpower the other.

"You're still the same as ever, Zane," Zeta commented as he slowly began pushing back against the swordsman.

Marth encased himself in purple lightning, trying desperately to push back his opponent with his magic. "My name… is Marth!" the Spriggan declared.

Zeta chuckled in amusement. "No matter. You will fall in the end, as will your friends."

Marth and Zeta then clashed swords at high speeds multiple times, with neither one giving in. Suddenly the Dark Swordsman activated «Vorpal Strike» with Lunara and lunged at Zeta's chest. Zeta easily evaded Marth's attack, causing the dual-wielder to slide past him. The Dark God then sneered as he turned around to finish the Spriggan off with an overhead slash, only to gasp in shock as he saw that Marth had turned around and activated «Horizontal Square» with Solaris.

Marth began by dodging the Zeta's attack by moving to the right while striking its side horizontally. He then turned around and performed another horizontal slash from right to left on Zeta's chest, causing the god to grunt with pain. Marth spun around until he was facing the Zeta's back and did a third horizontal slash on it. The Dark God got behind him and tried swinging his sword at Marth's head, but the swordsman ducked out of the way. Marth then spun around and performed the final hit of the Sword Skill, which was a forehand strike across the top part of the Zeta's chest.

The streaks from Marth's sword drew a square which quickly dispersed as he then activated «Vertical Square» with Lunara. The Dark Swordsman began the Sword Skill by performing a downward vertical slash, striking the god in the chest before following it up with two upward slashes, striking the same place before concluding with a downward slash. Just as before, streaks from Marth's sword drew a square before quickly fading.

"How's he doing that?!" Nia exclaimed. "I thought you guys said Sword Skills caused a motion delay when they're used."

"They do," Kirito confirmed. "But Marth and I found an exploit that allows us to chain «One-Handed Sword» Skills by alternating hands, canceling the motion delay and allowing us to attack consecutively. We like to call it «Skill-Connect»."

"Amazing," Frank said in awe.

Marth then activated a lightning Sword Skill with Solaris, stabbing Zeta's stomach while also paralyzing him, before doing an upward slash as he activated his wings and jumped into the air. The Dark Swordsman then rested Lunara on his shoulder as he activated «Vorpal Strike» once more.

"Take this, Zeta!" Marth shouted as he lunged his right sword at the god while descending. Zeta was unable to move due to the Spriggan's last attack and could only watch as he was impaled with Lunara, causing him to howl in pain as black blood poured from his wound when the Shadow Blade was removed.

"You'll pay for that, you worm!" Zeta declared as he prepared to strike the dual-wielder as he froze up from the motion delay.

"Sacred Arrow!" The two opponents looked up and saw a barrage of light arrows rain down upon them. Marth quickly jumped back while Zeta got the full brunt of the attack. The Dark God howled in pain as the arrows damaged him.

Marth then saw Frank, Mythra, Jin and Yuuki running to him.

"Thanks for the save," Marth said.

"You're welcome," Frank replied as he saw Zeta recover and engage with Kirito, Asuna and Malos. "Zeta's strong. Even with all of us working together and that Skill Connect of yours, we're not making much progress."

"Reminds me of the time when the Assault Team battled the Skull Reaper."

Mythra raised an eyebrow in confusion. "The What Reaper?"

"The Skull Reaper was a floor boss back in Sword Art Online," Marth explained hastily. "Its stats were through the roof; it could kill high level players with a single strike, while we hardly did any damage to it. We won in the end, but fourteen players lost their lives."

Frank gritted his teeth in frustration. "But we can't give up. If we fall here, Zeta will destroy Alrest."

"There must be something we can do," Yuuki said desperately.

Suddenly Zeta was surrounded by a black aura. "Enough! I grow tired of this game! I will end you all in my true form!"

"True form?" Malos questioned.

Both Zeke and Klaus were filled with fear. "No," Zeke said in fear.

Everyone watched as Zeta became a massive flaming demon. He had curved horns on his head and dark wings on his back. His sword grew to match his size.

"How are we supposed to beat that?!" Klein shouted in shock.

"Now perish!" Zeta unleashed a massive breath of black fire upon the group.

_"Not on my watch!"_ Marth shouted in his head as a dark aura surrounded him. Everyone else braced for the attack, but nothing happened. Frank was the first to look and noticed a certain black dragon protecting them with his wings.

"Marth!" the Aegis Driver shouted in disbelief.

The black dragon's wings began shining as they absorbed the fire before redirecting it back at Zeta, scorching his right arm.

"No way!" Sinon, Lisbeth, and Celina exclaimed in shock.

"How did you…?" the Dark God questioned before his eyes widened in recognition. "Critias, you're still alive?! Impossible!"

"That doesn't matter!" Marth roared. "You won't be harming anyone here, Zeta!"

"Says who?" Zeta mocked.

"We do!" Suddenly a golden particle beam struck the god in the chest, forcing him to the ground. The group looked up and saw a white Artifice descending from the sky.

"Is that what I think it is?" Frank questioned.

Mythra nodded in confirmation. "Yes. That's my Artifice, Siren." She then recalled the Aegis Sword to her, confusing her Driver.

"What are you doing?"

"An Aegis can pilot an Artifice directly. I'm going to use Siren to help Marth fight Zeta. You need to stay here. I can't focus on the fight if you're in danger."

"But…"

Mythra didn't stick around to hear what her Driver wanted to say. Instead, she hurried over to her Artifice and merged with its crystal before taking off.

"Ready, Marth?" Mythra asked.

"You bet!" Marth replied as he took to the sky.

Zeta rose to his feet and pursued the duo and began fighting the dragon and Aegis. While they were battling, monsters soon appeared and began attacking the group.

"Oh, come on!" Kirito exclaimed as he fought off anything that approached him. "Don't we have enough to deal with already?!"

"Just focus on fighting!" Zeke ordered.

Frank summoned Roc in order to defend himself as he stood back to back with Jin. Not only did the group have to deal with monsters, but they had to avoid any attacks from the battle raging in the sky. Gold particle beams, purple lightning, black fire, and blasts of darkness rained down from above, destroying anything around them on the island.

"There's so many of them," Frank said. "At this rate, we'll be wiped out."

Jin gritted his teeth as he wondered what to do. _"This can't end like this,"_ the swordsman thought. _"I made a promise to Lora, and I intend to keep it. I will protect my friends, no matter what!"_

The air suddenly became ice cold, causing everyone to stop fighting, except Marth, Mythra and Zeta, who continued to battle in the sky, unaware of what was happening below.

"What the… Why's it getting so cold here?" Ethan asked in confusion.

_"Can it be?"_ Klaus turned and saw an icy aura around Jin and smiled. _"So Jin has finally chosen to reveal his true power. Good, we'll need it."_

Three monsters charged at Frank and Jin, but the latter fired a volley of icicles at them, killing them.

"What the?" Frank said in shock. "How did you do that?"

"I'm through with hiding who I am." Jin removed his mask, revealing a blue Core Crystal on his forehead. "I will not allow any more people I care about to die! Not anymore!"

"Jin… Y-you're a Blade?"

The newly revealed Ice Blade nodded. "I am. I was once the strongest Blade in Torna, calling me 'the Paragon of Torna', before it fell in the Aegis War. My Driver, Lora, gave up everything to seal me away so that I could be there to help Mythra and the others when they reawakened. Klaus then found me and sent me to you for your protection. I never thought I'd resonate with anyone again, not after Lora, but I know now that I want you to be my new Driver."

"Are you sure?" Frank asked.

"Yes." He held out his nodachi. "Now let's show these things the true power between a Driver and Blade!"

Frank smirked as he dismissed Roc and took the nodachi from Jin. The Aegis Driver began hacking through monsters as Jin supplied power. Their actions motivated the others and they began killing monsters left and right with a renewed vigor.

"Soulfire!" Meg and Brighid shouted as they swung their whipswords, killing a horde of monsters with a stream of blue flames.

Kirito unleashed Eclipse and killed any monster that got near him or Asuna. Even Malos pulled his weight around by helping to protect the healers. Soon all the monsters were killed.

Meanwhile, up in the sky, the battle raged on. Zeta swung his sword at the black dragon, but Marth barrel-rolled out of the way before unleashing a black-fire breath attack, burning the demon's leg. Mythra, on the other hand, kept her distance as she kept firing her particle cannon at Zeta whenever she got an opening.

"This has gone on long enough!" Marth declared. "Mythra, let's finish this!"

"I hear you!" Mythra then fired a massive particle beam which merged with a black fire-and-lightning breath attack from Marth. The combined attack pierced through Zeta's chest, causing him to revert to his human form as he fell to the spire.

Marth and Mythra then descended to the spire and landed gently. The dragon reverted back to his Spriggan form while Mythra exited Siren and sent it back into space.

"You win this round, Marth and Mythra," Zeta said. "But next time we meet, things won't end the same way. The darkness cannot be contained. I will return! When I regain my full power, even you won't be able to defeat me." The dark god's body then fully disintegrated, leaving nothing but two orbs of purple light, which quickly disappeared.

"We shall see, Zeta," Marth said before he and Mythra returned to their friends. The rift and the vortex around it then vanished from sight, revealing the clear, starry night sky.

There was a moment of silence until Ethan interrupted it. "Is it…over?" he asked nervously.

"I think so," Zeke replied. "However, Zeta is darkness incarnate. The only way to kill him for good is when his soul is complete. However, Zeta would be at his full power if that happens."

Most of the group were hopelessly confused.

"So is Zeta gone or not?" Lisbeth said.

"Hard to say," Mythra answered with her arms folded. "But given the thrashing Marth and I just gave him, I can't imagine him being able to return from that."

"Ditto," the Dark Swordsman agreed.

"Okay," Kirito said, trying to process the information. "So what now?"

"With Zeta defeated, the rift between our two worlds has closed," Klaus said. "In mere moments, Marth and his friends will be returned to their world."

Frank gave his counterpart a sad look. "I knew this was going to happen eventually, but it's still sad. I wish we could hang out more. There's a lot you could teach me."

Marth simply chuckled. "I feel the same way. I'm sure our paths will cross again sometime." The Spriggan extended his hand to the Aegis Driver.

"Yeah," Frank said as he grasped Marth's hand and shook it. "Our bonds will transcend time and space itself."

"Goodbye Mythra," Yuuki said to her counterpart.

Mythra, surprisingly, cracked a smile. "See you around, Yuuki."

The Imp then whispered in the Aegis's ear, "Good luck with Frank, by the way. I'm rooting for you."

Mythra's face went red with embarrassment. "Sh-shut up!"

"Goodbye everyone," Silica said as she, Celina and Lisbeth were surrounded by blue light before vanishing.

"I don't wanna go just yet!" Klein protested as he, Agil, and Sinon were soon surrounded by the same light. "I might find my soulmate in this world!"

Agil playfully slapped the samurai on the shoulder. "I'm sure she's waiting for you back in _our_ world," the Gnome said. "We don't belong here anyway. It's time for us to go home."

"Just my luck I'm going back with you, Klein," Sinon groaned in annoyance before the trio disappeared.

"Goodbye Meg," Thorrnn said to her counterpart. "It's been fun. I really enjoyed hearing about all the embarrassing stories about your brother."

Meg gave a mischievous smile. "And I enjoyed hearing about similar stories of Marth."

"You did what?!" Frank and Marth shouted, prompting everyone else to laugh.

"Take care of yourself, Thorrnn," Meg said.

"You too, Flamebringer." Thorrnn and Leafa then disappeared into blue light.

"It was awesome meeting you all," Kirito said. "I can't wait for the next time we get to fight together. Maybe next time we can have a friendly duel!"

Asuna shook her head in exhaustion. "You never change, Kirito." The Spriggan scratched his head sheepishly.

"Goodbye everyone!" Yui said cheerfully while sitting on her father's shoulder. The pixie and her parents were then surrounded by blue light and disappeared, leaving just Marth and Yuuki.

Marth then remembered the Wrist Grapple he got from ALO and reached for it in his coat. "Here," the Dark Swordsman said simply as he placed the item in Frank's hand.

"I want you to have this," Marth explained. "I got it as a quest reward back in Alfheim, but I don't need it. I think you're better suited for it than me."

Frank struggled to find words. "Th-thank you," he said finally.

Marth smiled. "It's the least I can do. Remember, destiny is not pre-determined. It is forged from our own decisions."

"I will." Frank then strapped the grapple gun to his right wrist.

Marth then faced Mythra. "You know, we make a pretty good team. It was cool fighting by your side, Mythra."

"Yeah, it was, surprisingly enough," the Aegis replied. "Take care of yourself, Marth."

Marth and Yuuki stood together as blue light began to envelop them. "Time to go," the Spriggan said.

"Goodbye!" Yuuki said while waving fiercely.

The duo then disappeared and found themselves back at the guild's headquarters with their friends.

"Well, that was some adventure," Leafa spoke up.

"Tell me about it," Thorrnn added. "I never would've thought there were alternate worlds, or that we'd go to one."

"How long have we been gone?" Silica questioned.

"Let's see." Kirito opened his menu and checked the time. "According to the system, it's been about an hour since we got sent to Alrest."

Everyone was shocked at the news.

"That can't be true," Sinon objected. "We were gone for nearly a whole night."

"Maybe time flows differently between our world and Alrest," Marth suggested. "Whatever the case, at least we all made it back safely."

"That's true," Asuna agreed. "Since we're all here, should we get to the meeting?"

The Darkness Duo's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah," Kirito realized. "We were gonna talk about how we were gonna get the Soul Blade Kagutsuchi for Klein." He then locked eyes with his partner. "Should we have the meeting tonight or should we postpone it?"

Marth looked over his guildmates and saw how exhausted they were. "Let's reschedule it for another day," the Dark Swordsman said. "I think we've been through enough today."

"Me too," Kirito agreed. "Let's have the meeting some other time, if that's okay with you all."

"You won't hear me complaining," Klein remarked. "I feel like I'm about to collapse."

"Me too," Celina added. "I think I'm gonna log out and get some much-needed sleep."

"Same," Lisbeth said. "See you tomorrow, guys."

The Leprechauns then logged out.

"I'm logging out too," Agil said. "Unlike the rest of you, I have a business to run. Can't have my wife doing everything by herself."

"All right," Marth replied. "Tell her we said hello for us."

The Gnome cracked a grin. "You got it, brother. See ya." Agil then logged out, as did Klein, Sinon and Silica.

"Hey Kazuto, what are we gonna do for dinner?" Leafa questioned.

The Black Swordsman then remembered that they hadn't eaten anything recently. "Oh yeah, we kinda need to eat something."

"I could come over and cook something," Asuna offered, catching the remaining fairies off-guard.

"Really Asuna?" Kirito asked his girlfriend. "Would your parents be okay with that?"

The Undine nodded. "My brother can drive me to your place, so there's nothing to worry about." She then faced Marth, Yuuki and Thorrnn. "Do you guys wanna eat with us?"

"Sure," Marth replied.

"I've got nothing planned," Thorrnn spoke up.

"I'll be there," Yuuki added.

Yui slumped down in sorrow as she changed to her human form. "I wish I could eat with you all," the A.I. said.

Kirito then patted his daughter in the head. "Don't worry about it, Yui," the Spriggan promised. "We'll make it up to you by having a big lunch here in ALO tomorrow. How's that sound?"

"Will Mommy and Aunt Yuuki be cooking?"

Asuna pulled the young girl into a hug. "Of course we will. Right, Yuuki?"

"You got it, Asuna!" the Absolute Sword confirmed. "We'll make you the best lunch ever, Yui!"

Yui then formed a cheerful smile on her face. "Okay. It's a promise!"

The group then logged out, prompting Frank to awaken in the real world. He then put some shoes and a coat on before heading to Meg's room.

"Hey Meg, you ready to go?" Frank asked as he knocked on his sister's door.

"Yeah, hold on." The Sylph player opened her door and showed that she had put on a winter coat and some boots.

The siblings then told their parents that they were going to the Kirigaya house for dinner, to which the adults approved and told them to be careful. Frank and Meg then left the house and went over to their friends' house, where Kazuto let them inside.

"Asuna and Yuuki should be here in a few minutes," Kazuto said as the trio went into the dining room, where Sugu was at.

"Hey, Kazuto," Sugu spoke up. "Is Asuna as good a cook IRL as she is in ALO?"

"She is," Kazuto confirmed. "If I had known she was such a good cook beforehand, I probably would've dated her sooner."

Frank, Sugu and Meg then burst out laughing.

"That sounds just like you, Kazuto!" Frank said in-between chuckles.

"I guess the saying is true," Meg added. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Kazuto simply sat down in a chair and slouched. "You guys are mean."

"Sorry, Kazuto, but you walked right into that one," Sugu said as she wiped the tears from her eyes from laughing so hard.

**Later**

Asuna and Yuuki arrived at the Kirigaya household with a bag of ingredients.

"Kirito, is it okay if I use your dishes?" the Undine player asked.

"Go right ahead. Use whatever you need."

Asuna then got to cooking, with Yuuki helping her. Meg and Sugu sat by the table and talked about girl stuff while Kazuto and Frank were sitting on the couch.

"Hey Kazuto, there's something I need to tell you," Frank spoke up.

The Spriggan player quickly perked up and eyed his partner. "What is it?"

"Remember that barrier I told you about in GGO, the one that protected me from that grenade?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, I noticed that besides the silver coloring, it was _exactly_ the same as Mythra and the other Blades' defense barriers."

Kazuto's eyes widened in surprise. "What the?" he said in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

Frank nodded with certainty. "I am. There's no mistake about it."

Kazuto then held his chin in his right hand. "But if you can use it too, what does that make you? You can't be a Blade. You've got parents and everything. This doesn't make any sense."

"Tell me about it?" Frank then glanced at the girls over his shoulder. "Should we tell them about this?"

"Probably not a good idea," Kazuto answered. "If we told them right now, especially after what we just went through, they'd probably worry about you. Let's keep this between us until we can figure this all out."

"Okay," Frank said with a nod.

The boys then heard Asuna say that dinner was ready, prompting the group to gather around the table and eat.

**Temporal Spire**

A shadowy figure came out of the altar, revealing it to be none other than Jarrod, unharmed. However, his hair was now gray and his eyes were pure black. He was now wearing black armor with a crimson cape and had a large wicked-looking sword strapped to his back.

"At last," the Demon King said with eagerness as he looked himself over. "Thanks to you, Master, I have been restored. The Lunara's _taint_ no longer binds me." He then glanced at the altar. "Do not worry, Master, for I shall avenge your defeat. And I shall start by destroying the Dark Swordsman. But things are going to go much differently than last time."

The black-armored demon stretched his hand out, causing a black portal to open in front of him. He then entered the portal and found himself atop a building in Tokyo, in Marth's world. Jarrod looked over the sleeping city with a sneer.

"So many lives to claim, so little time," the Demon King said. He made a fist with his right hand, causing black magic to exude from it. "The Alfheim Warriors will learn just how powerful the Shadow Army is. I am death. I am destruction. I… am… Zarc!"

Meanwhile, Frank couldn't help but feel a cold sensation run down his spine, a clear sign of danger. He stared out the window briefly before returning to his meal.


	24. Mount Sauron

**June 23rd, 2026**

Frank, Kazuto, Yuuki and Asuna were at Dicey Café for a double date. The Spriggan players were now eighteen years old, as was Yuuki. (Yes, I am aware that Kirito's birthday is in October, but for the sake of my story, his birthday is much earlier in the year.) They were sitting at the bar with Andrew each serving them a cup of hot chocolate.

"You guys don't need to come here every time you're on a date you know," Andrew said as the couple took their drinks. "There are classier places in town."

"What are you talking about?" Kazuto replied. "This place is classy enough, compared to your shop in Algade anyway." Andrew sulked at the comment.

"Don't listen to Kirito," Asuna told the bartender. "I liked it." Andrew immediately straightened up.

"That place was a rip-off," Kazuto said. "Half the stuff there was paper mâché."

"How can you say that?" Asuna scolded her boyfriend. "He let you and Marth stay there for free when your Dual-Wielding skills were revealed."

"She's got a point," Frank spoke up. "We kinda do owe Agil for taking us in at such short notice."

Kazuto sighed in defeat. "Fine, sorry Agil."

The Gnome player simply smirked.

"What are you smiling about?" Yuuki questioned.

"Nothing," Andrew said. "It's just… seeing you four now, you guys don't look anything like the top members of the Assault Team."

"I guess that makes sense," Asuna replied. "Since we don't have to worry about dying while fighting bosses anymore, we probably do look different."

Frank took a sip from his hot chocolate and said, "Yeah, well I'm not eager to repeat the experience. Even if it means I'm not the same 'Dark Swordsman' as I was back in Aincrad, so be it."

"I hear you," Kazuto replied. "I want to leave my old 'Black Swordsman' persona behind, but I guess it'll always stick with me."

"To be fair," Yuuki spoke up. "I can't see any other nicknames that fit you and Marth. I think you two should just accept it."

The Darkness Duo sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Yuuki," Frank replied. "As always."

"You know, I've played MMOs for a long time, but I've never seen a friendship like the one you and Kazuto share. You guys better treasure it because it won't come back if it's lost," Andrew replied. "I've actually met my wife in an MMO. She used to live in the U.S., and we fell for each other pretty hard. She even moved here to be with me and we got married."

"Aw, how sweet," Asuna commented.

"If Klein heard that story, he'd pop a blood vessel," Kazuto said smugly.

"Totally," Frank added with the same expression while Yuuki simply giggled.

"Anyway, we wanted to play SAO together, but we could only get one," Andrew continued. "We played a little game to see who'd try it first. I'm glad that it was me who won. No way was I gonna put her through that. The Assault Team was the only way out. All I wanted to do was clear the game and return to my lady."

Kazuto drank some of his drink and set it down. "I know what you mean. I wanted to get back to my family too. That thought kept me alive back there."

"Same," Frank said. "My drive to survive in SAO was because of my family. Without it, I doubt I'd even be half as strong as I was back in Aincrad."

"I had the same motivation too," Yuuki added before putting her hand on top of Frank's. "But I'm glad I was in SAO, because I got to meet you, Marth. I wouldn't trade that for anything."

"Nor would I with Kirito," Asuna said. "He was the reason why I fought so hard in Aincrad. He gave me a reason to come home to."

Andrew then cleared his throat. "Hate to change the subject, but are we still on for tonight?"

Kazuto nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, we're finally getting around to obtaining the Soul Blade Kagutsuchi," the Spriggan player said. "We'll be meeting up at headquarters in Yggdrasil City before we head to Mount Sauron."

"Klein's really been looking forward to this for months now," Asuna added. "I've never seen him look so excited before."

"Let's just hope we don't get sucked into another world again," Yuuki joked, causing everyone to laugh.

**Later**

Marth and the other Alfheim Warriors had returned from doing some shopping in the market. Lisbeth and Celina, however, had stayed at the base to work on everyone's weapons.

"Has everyone gotten what they needed?" the Dark Swordsman questioned. "If you haven't, hurry and go get it because we won't be making any pit stops on the way to the dungeon."

"I think we're all good," Thorrnn replied.

"And Liz and I have finished with everyone's weapons," Celina added as she and her fellow blacksmith passed out everyone's gear.

"Great work, you two, as always," Kirito said before they sat around the table. "Okay then, let's get down to business. Klein, have you gotten the quest, yet?"

"Sure have, buddy," Klein confirmed with a cheerful grin as he shared it with his guildmates. "This thing's been sitting in my quest log for months now. According to the NPC I got it from, a group of Flame Giants stole a legendary sword from this lost tribe and took it to Mount Sauron, where they built a fortress inside it to keep out intruders. If I manage to kill their leader, Surtr, I'll get the Soul Blade Kagutsuchi as a reward. So what's the plan?"

"From what we gathered, this quest is pretty similar to Excalibur and Solaris's quest," Sinon added. "Only there's no risk of Ragnarök happening if we fail this one. Also, because Mount Sauron's a volcano, it'll be filled with fire-attributed monsters, so a fire-resistant buff will be needed."

"Fire magic won't help us much either," Thorrnn said inquisitively. "All the monsters there will have a natural resistance to it, while the Flame Giants are outright immune to fire attacks."

Marth held his chin as he thought about what to do. "Okay, here's the plan," the Dark Swordsman said. "Asuna, Leafa, and Thorrnn will be in the back to provide support, such as healing and the occasional attack spells. Sinon will also be there for the occasional cover fire."

"Understood," Leafa replied.

"Leave it to us," Asuna added.

"Lisbeth, Agil, and Celina, you guys are the tanks," Kirito took over. "Make sure the bosses don't focus on us."

Agil gave the Black Swordsman a thumps-up. "You got it, brother," the Gnome said.

"Piece of cake," Lisbeth spoke up.

"As for everyone else, we'll be the DPS," Kirito concluded. "Listen to Yui's insights when she detects the bosses' attacks to minimize the damage you'll take. Does everyone understand everything?"

The Alfheim Warriors nodded in acknowledgement, prompting the group to head out towards the dungeon. It took about an hour of flying for them to reach Mount Sauron, which was extremely tall and looked as if it had fortifications built into it, with a few lookout towers surrounding it. There was a large black cloud of smog up at the peak, blocking the virtual sun's light.

"Talk about creepy," Yuuki commented as they landed miles away from the volcano and hid behind one of the cliffs.

"Tell me about it," Asuna replied before she chanted a fire-resistant buff on her party.

"So how are we gonna get into the dungeon?" Silica questioned as she eyed the lookout towers. "From what I heard, there are NPCs in the towers and if they spot any players trying to enter the mountain, they'll raise the alarms and make the dungeon a lot harder to complete."

"Which is why Kirito and I did some digging for the last few weeks," Marth spoke up. "Argo told us that there's an old mining tunnel near us that will take us right past the guards and into the mountain. We did some scouting and it proved to be true. There's barely any monsters in the tunnel, but it is a bit of a walk through it."

"Well we better get started," Celina replied.

The party followed the Spriggans down a path leading into a tunnel, which was pitch black inside, making it impossible for the fairies to see. Luckily Kirito cast a night vision spell on himself and his friends while Marth switched to his wolf form.

"Never thought Spriggan magic would be so useful," Leafa commented.

"Hurtful sis," Kirito said as he feigned a pained expression. "Anyway, stay close everyone. This tunnel has a bunch of different pathways so its easy to get lost in."

"Okay," Yuuki said slowly. "But why did Marth switch to his wolf form?"

"Because Wolf Heart enhances his tracking abilities and since we can't exactly leave breadcrumbs behind to find our way back, Marth's the next best thing."

"Oh, right," the Imp said sheepishly. "I forgot about that."

Thorrnn simply scratched her brother's ears, causing his tail to wag. "We're counting on you, Marth. Don't let us down."

Marth simply barked in acknowledgement before he began sniffing the air around him. He then began going down the tunnel, prompting the others to follow him. After a while, the party reached a crossroads of sorts with multiple different tunnels.

"Which way should we go?" Silica questioned.

"I don't know," Yui spoke up. "There's no map data here besides the one we're making as we're progressing through the dungeon."

All eyes went to the wolf as he began investigating the different pathways. Eventually he settled with one and eyed his teammates.

"I guess we go that way," Kirito spoke up.

The party then went through the tunnel that Marth had pointed out when suddenly the wolf let out a fierce growl.

"What's wrong, Marth?" Yuuki questioned as she knelt beside her boyfriend as he barred his fangs.

"Daddy, I'm detecting monsters up ahead," Yui said in warning. "They're coming right for us."

The fairies immediately drew their weapons, except Asuna, Leafa, and Thorrnn, and got into position. Suddenly three large Komodo Dragon-like monsters with a fiery spine appeared before them and hissed at the party.

"Be careful, guys!" Kirito exclaimed. "These tunnels are too narrow so dodging will be difficult."

Marth was the first to strike as he pounced on the leading monster and knocked it to the ground before biting its neck. Kirito, Lisbeth, and Klein charged at the second monster while Agil, Celina, and Silica went after the third. Sinon, on the other hand, stayed by Asuna and the Sylphs and fired an ice arrow at the monster Marth was fighting, striking it in the neck.

After a while, the monsters were all killed, prompting the fairies to continue onward. Eventually they reached the end of the tunnel and found themselves inside a fortress with lavafalls coming from the sides. There were three different doorways that led to other parts of the stronghold.

"Jeez, it's so hot here!" Klein exclaimed.

Marth then switched back to his Spriggan form and adjusted his collar. "What did you expect it to be? Air-conditioned? Anyway, where do we go now?"

"If I remember correctly, this dungeon is structured like a tower," Celina remarked. "The higher we go up, the closer we reach the final boss. We just need to find the right path to take us to the boss of this floor to advance."

"Okay, but which way do we take?" Asuna questioned. "They all look the same."

Kirito inspected the middle door and opened it to peek inside. He quickly found a pair of large glowing red eyes staring right at him, prompting him to shut the door in a panic.

"Not that way!" he exclaimed.

Marth went over the rightmost doorway and promptly opened it. However, instead of finding a hallway on the other side, he found instead found a pit that had magma boiling at the bottom.

"Not this one either," the Dark Swordsman remarked as he closed it.

"Then I guess that means this one is…" Yuuki said as she approached the final door and opened it, revealing a hallway. "All right! Found it!"

"Good work, Yuuki," the Lightning Flash said. "Let's go."

The Alfheim Warriors went down the corridor that Yuuki chose. After dealing with a handful of monsters that were patrolling the area. Eventually they entered a large empty room with pillars of unlit torches scattered around it.

"This must be the first boss room," Leafa spoke up. "But where's the boss?"

As if on que, a loud voice boomed, "Well, well, well! It seems a group of insolent fairies have managed to sneak their way into _our_ stronghold."

"Aye, it's been a long time since anyone has made it this far undetected," another voice declared. "Removing this pesky insects will be so much fun!"

Marth and the others went on edge as two sets of loud footsteps came from the other side of the room and were getting closer. Soon two red giants wearing obsidian-colored armor appeared before the fairies as the torches around the room lit up. Both giants were carrying large double-edged axes that looked to be red-hot.

"Well then, Brother," the first giant said. "Shall we deal with these pests together?"

The second giant sneered with anticipation. "Yes, we shall!"

The Alfheim Warriors promptly drew their weapons.

"Here we go, everyone!" Marth exclaimed. "Let's take these guys down!"

"Yeah!" everyone agreed.

Marth, Celina, Yuuki and Klein charged at the first giant, while Kirito led the other melee fighters towards the second. The fairies managed to strike at the giants' legs, each taking a small chunk out of their HP.

"Fire breaths incoming!" Yui shouted in warning.

Both giants unleashed powerful streams of red fire from their mouths at the melee fairies, prompting them to dodge. The first giant then summoned a fireball in his other hand and sent it flying towards Marth.

"Brother, watch out!" Thorrnn cried out.

The Spriggan grunted as he instantly casted «Stormveil», creating a wall of wind that shielded him from the giant's attack before parting it.

"Thanks, sis!" Marth replied. He then began chanting another spell before crying out, "Roaring Thunder!" A blast of purple lightning struck the first giant from above, paralyzing him.

"Impossible," the giant said in shock as he fell to his knees. "That fairy, he has Thor's favor."

"Why would an Aesir take an interest in such a pathetic whelp like you?" the second giant retorted.

"Beats me," Marth said casually. "But I'm sure as hell not complaining." He then jumped back and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Lightning Flash. "Ready, Asuna?"

The Undine cracked a wicked smirk. "You bet. Everyone, you know what to do!"

The other fairies nodded in acknowledgement. Kirito, Klein, Leafa, and Agil charged at first giant, who was still struggling to move, while Yuuki, Celina, Thorrnn, Lisbeth and Silica charged at the second. Sinon, on the other hand, just stayed back and fired a barrage of arrows at the bosses. Meanwhile Marth and Asuna stood back-to-back as they began chanting a highly advanced spell.

Kirito managed to parry the giant's axe with Excalibur before shouting, "Leafa, Switch!"

"You got it!" the Sylph replied before she activated a Sword Skill and ran her katana through the first giant's waist before moving to the side so Klein and Agil could attack with their Sword Skills.

The second giant then slammed his axe on the floor, sending a wave of flames at his opponents. However, Celina and Lisbeth blocked it with their shields before Yuuki and Thorrnn used them as platforms to jump over the flames and strike the giant with their swords.

Unfortunately, both the giants quickly recovered from the attacks and forced the fairies into the defensive.

"Are you guys almost done back there?" Klein called out as he jumped back to avoid getting stomped on.

Neither Marth or Asuna answered as they finished chanting their spell. "Stormsurge!" the duo shouted in sync.

Suddenly storm clouds began to gather above the giants as purple lightning discharged off them.

"Uh oh," the two giants said before being struck by a giant bolt of purple lightning.

An explosion quickly followed as the blast annihilated the bosses, leaving no trace of them behind.

"We… did it," Marth said slowly as he and Asuna slumped to the ground in exhaustion.

"Yeah… we did," the Undine replied in-between breaths. "Man, that took more out of me than I thought. I think… I need to rest for a bit."

"Me… too."

"Great work, Asuna, Marth," Kirito said as he and the others approached the downed fairies.

"You guys sure showed those giants whose boss!" Yuuki cheered.

"Looks like Thor's bonus really paid off," Thorrnn added. "That Unison Spell was something else."

"Please don't ask us to do it again," Marth said weakly. "I don't think I have it in me for a repeat performance."

"Me neither," Asuna added. "And the only reason why Stormsurge is so powerful is because it requires two casters to use it, and they have to be in perfect sync to pull it off correctly."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what happens if you're not in sync?" Lisbeth questioned.

"We get electrocuted and die," Marth said simply. "And we take a while to respawn too. You can imagine how fun it was practicing that spell." His tone was sarcastic during the last sentence.

"Shouldn't you guys have saved it for the final boss, though?" Sinon asked curiously. "I mean, I'm not complaining that we won, but that spell would've easily taken him out."

"Probably," Asuna agreed with a light smile. "But Marth still has his Dragon Soul. Besides, we wanted to show off a little."

After a few minutes of resting, Marth and Asuna managed to rise to their feet.

"Hey, Yui, how many more floors do we have to go through to reach the final boss room?" the Dark Swordsman asked his niece.

"There are four floors in total in this dungeon," the pixie answered. "Each floor gets progressively smaller as we get higher and higher. If we keep up this pace, we might reach the final floor within two hours or so."

"Okay then," Marth said. "Let's keep moving and retrieve the Soul Blade Kagutsuchi!"

"Yeah!" the others exclaimed.

**To be continued**


	25. The Flame King

The Alfheim Warriors had made it to the third floor of the dungeon and were fighting its boss, which was a giant red wyvern. Agil, Lisbeth and Celina were busy holding the boss's attention while Kirito, Klein, Yuuki, and Silica attacked its sides. Marth, Asuna, Thorrnn and Leafa, on the other hand, were blasting the wyvern with spells while Sinon fired a barrage of arrows at it.

Marth had just unleashed a Raging Bolt spell, which temporarily stunned the wyvern, allowing Kirito and Yuuki to slash at its neck.

"This is taking too long," Sinon said as she fired a lightning arrow from her bow, striking the boss's right eye. "Marth, can't you speed this up by using Dragon Soul?"

"Probably," the Spriggan replied. "But even though I can control Dragon Soul now, I'd still rather use it only for emergencies. I just don't want to rely on it constantly."

The Cait Sith sighed. "I guess that makes sense. Things would get pretty boring if you used Dragon Soul for every fight," Sinon admitted.

Marth cracked a light smile as Kirito landed the final blow on the wyvern, taking out the remainder of its HP.

"Finally," Kirito said slowly. "I was beginning to think we would never beat that thing."

Yuuki simply giggled. "Lighten up, Kirito," the Absolute Sword replied. "If this quest was easy, then someone else would've gotten the Kagutsuchi already."

"True," the Black Swordsman said before facing his guildmates. "Alright, everyone. We've only got a little further to go before we clear this dungeon. Drink up your potions to max out your HP and MP. Once you're done, we'll head out."

The Alfheim Warriors acknowledged and began restoring their HP and MP. They also took the opportunity to rest after all the constant fighting they did up until now. Marth was sitting by Kirito, Asuna and Yuuki and could see the others chatting amongst themselves. Yui, on the other hand, was currently sleeping in her father's coat pocket.

"Hey Marth, wasn't there something you wanted to tell me earlier today?" Kirito spoke up, prompting the Dark Swordsman to face him.

"Yeah," Marth admitted. "Last night, I had a weird dream that I was in Alrest again."

Kirito, Asuna, and Yuuki were surprised by the news.

"Really? Are you sure?" Asuna questioned.

"I am." Marth then stared at his open palm. "The thing is, it felt too real to be a dream. It was weird though. I was stuck in my wolf form and couldn't move. Instead, I could only watch as Frank and the others fought Zeke and lost. Pyra even got captured by him."

Yuuki's eyes widened in shock. "Oh no. Are Frank and the others alright?"

Marth nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. After Pyra was taken, that's when I found I could move again and shadowed them as they made their way back to town. After that, I found out that Frank has been comparing himself to me, which I guess makes sense since we do look alike."

"But just because you and the other Frank look alike, that doesn't mean you're the same people," Kirito argued. "I mean, you two went through completely different things to get to where you are now."

"That's what I told him. I said that the source of his power came from working with his friends, while I mostly fought alone, save for the times I teamed up with you and the others. To be honest, I still have problems shaking off my solo player habits."

The Black Swordsman patted his partner on the back and gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay," Kirito replied. "I'm going through the same thing. Luckily, we've got Asuna, Yuuki, Yui and everyone else here to help us."

"That you do," the Undine said with a light smile. She then noticed the others wrapping up their conversations. "Well then, shall we get moving?"

The Darkness Duo locked eyes and nodded in silent agreement.

"Yeah, let's go," Marth said.

**Later**

The Alfheim Warriors were on the final floor of the dungeon and were nearing the boss room. They were currently engaged with four stone golems and were winning. Marth managed to deflect one of the golem's arms using a Sword Skill, leaving it wide open for Kirito to finish it off with Horizontal Square. Another golem then tried to strike the Black Swordsman during his motion delay, but Marth quickly blocked it with his swords.

Klein and Yuuki then tag-teamed to kill the monster with their Sword Skills while the others finished off the remaining two.

As the party continued onward, Lisbeth whispered, "It's weird how Marth and Kirito can fight without communicating to each other."

Celina simply nodded. "It just shows how close they are," the Leprechaun muttered. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen them seriously argue with each other either."

"Because Daddy and Uncle Marth are awesome!" Yui praised as she landed on the brown-haired blacksmith's right shoulder. "Nothing will ever get between them!"

Celina and Lisbeth couldn't help but smile from the pixie's cheerfulness. "Can't really deny that," Lisbeth mused.

Kirito then glanced over his shoulder and eyed the Leprechauns. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing," the blacksmiths replied.

The Spriggan simply shrugged and went back to his conversation with Marth.

Eventually, the guild finally reached the boss room, which opened when they got close, causing a wave of heat to brush past them. Asuna and Leafa then reset the guild's buffs.

"Damn, that's hot!" Marth exclaimed.

Klein simply smirked. "It's your fault for wearing black while inside a volcano!" the samurai joked before getting a death glare from the Spriggans.

"Bad jokes aside," Marth said as he faced his guildmates. "This boss fight will be more difficult than the last ones here. Just like Thrymr, he'll most likely have multiple HP bars and his attack patterns will probably change when his HP hits certain levels."

"We'll be on the defensive starting out until we figure out his attack patterns," Kirito took over. "Yui, we'll be counting on you to warn us about the boss's attacks."

"You can count on me, Daddy!" Yui said proudly.

Marth then cracked a confident smirk. "All right, guys. Let's show this boss what the Alfheim Warriors are made of."

"Yeah!" the others exclaimed.

The Alfheim Warriors then went into the boss room, where they saw that it had tons of gold and stolen items. At the other side of the room was a makeshift throne with a large red giant wearing fancy red and black armor was sitting in.

The giant turned his head towards the fairies and sneered.

"Well, well, it seems that more flies have come to claim my treasure," the giant said arrogantly. "You have done well to make this far, but I shall feed you all to the flames!"

The giant then drew an axe that matched his size as three HP bars and the name "Flame King Surtr" appeared above his head.

"Here we go, guys!" Marth shouted as the fairies drew their weapons. "Let's take him down!"

"Yeah!" the others cried out.

Surtr charged at the Alfheim Warriors before he slammed his axe on the floor, sending a wave of flames at the party. Marth quickly unleashed the wind spell, «Arctic Storm», which was a blast of strong frigid winds at the flames, canceling each other out. The melee fighters, except Marth, Asuna, Leafa and Thorrnn, then charged at the boss and began their attacks. Kirito and Yuuki struck Surtr in the back with «Vorpal Strike» while Klein and Silica slashed at the giant's shins with their Sword Skills in an x-manner. Agil then jumped in the air and used a Sword Skill to strike Surtr's left arm, leaving a red gash behind. Lisbeth and Celina worked as one as they used lightning Sword Skills to strike the giant's face. Sinon then joined the fray by firing a barrage of ice arrows, striking the weak points in Surtr's armor. Their combined attacks managed to take a chunk of the boss's first HP bar.

"He's about to unleash a fire breath!" Yui shouted.

Surtr then unleashed a fire breath attack at the fairies, who were able to dodge it, except Klein, who got burned on his right leg. Luckily the samurai wasn't injured too badly thanks to his race's natural resistance to fire as well as Asuna's heat-resistant buff. Surtr then held his axe with both hands as the weapon began glowing red.

"Next is a shockwave attack!" Yui warned.

The Flame Giant then slammed his axe against the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that knocked the fairies off their feet and reduced the melee fighters' HP by half. Surtr wasn't done, however as he raised his axe and prepared to strike Kirito and Yuuki as they were down.

"Look out!" Leafa shouted.

The Black Swordsman and Absolute Sword could only watch as the Flame King prepared to finish them off, only for a bolt of purple lightning to strike the giant in the side. Surtr turned towards Marth, who had lightning surrounding him, and growled in anger.

"You little maggot!" Surtr growled. "You'll pay for that!"

Surtr then charged at the Dark Swordsman with his axe raised to strike.

"Marth! Keep him busy for a second!" Asuna exclaimed before she and the Sylphs began chanting a healing spell to heal their comrades.

"You got it!" Marth replied as he drew his dual swords.

The boss swung his axe down on the Spriggan, who simply evaded by jumping high in the air and slashed at his cheeks with his swords. Surtr got even more frustrated and swatted Marth with his other hand, sending him flying into the wall. However, Marth quickly recovered and kicked off the wall before switching to his wolf form. Using his increased agility, Marth managed to avoid Surtr's boot and proceeded to bite his ankles.

"Why you stupid little runt!" the giant exclaimed.

Kirito and the others then rejoined the fight once their HP was restored and began attacking the boss once more. Kirito and Yuuki teamed up with Marth, who had switched back to his Spriggan form, and began attacking the boss's chest. Klein and Silica slashed at the giant's shoulders, while Agil, Lisbeth and Celina struck his feet. Their combined attacks managed to reduce Surtr's first HP bar to zero, prompting the giant to roar in rage.

"Now the hard part begins," Yuuki said.

Surtr then took a deep breath as he prepared his Fire Breath attack. Once he was done, he unleashed an enormous stream of flames upon the fairies that was impossible to dodge. Marth tried to counter with «Arctic Storm», but it was quickly overpowered, causing the giant's attack to reach the group.

"Hothothothot!" Klein shouted as Asuna's buff was broken from the intense heat and their HP slowly decreased.

"Now what should we do?!" Celina cried out as she and Lisbeth tried protecting themselves with their shields.

"Just try to hold it out!" Kirito shouted as Marth switched to his wolf form to minimize the damage done to him. "It has to stop eventually!"

As if on que, the breath attack ended, but all the melee fairies' HP was in the red zone while Marth's was barely reduced by thirty percent.

"Not good," Asuna said in worry as she, Leafa and Thorrnn readied healing spells to heal their friends while Marth returned to his Spriggan form.

"Perish in my flames!" Surtr declared as a fiery aura erupted from his body.

"What the hell is he doing?!" Agil shouted in fear.

"Rage of Muspell!" Surtr shouted at the top of his lungs. Suddenly an explosion of crimson flames burst out of the giant and made its way towards the Alfheim Warriors.

"If that attack hits us, we're toast!" Silica cried out.

Yuuki then eyed her boyfriend. "You know what to do, Marth!" the Imp said.

The Dark Swordsman nodded in acknowledgement and summoned a dark aura around him. "Time to go all out!" Marth declared as he morphed into his dragon form. "Everyone, get behind me now!"

All the fairies acknowledged and got behind the black dragon, who folded his wings against his chest and took the brunt of the attack. Marth groaned in pain as he tried to hold his ground.

Surtr simply laughed cynically. "No being can survive my «Rage of Muspell», not even a dragon! Struggle all you want, but in the end you will become fuel for my flames!"

"Don't… count… on it," Marth said slowly. "I… will never… yield! Mirror Barrier!" Suddenly Marth's wings began radiating a dark light and began to absorb Surtr's flames.

The Flame Giant's confidence quickly turned to fear. "Impossible. Who are you?!" Surtr bellowed.

Marth let out an earth-shattering roar as his wings completely absorbed Surtr's spell, causing them to be surrounded by flames. The black dragon then opened his wings and stretched them to their full length as the flames changed from red to black. With a single flap of his wings, Marth sent Surtr's spell right back at him. The Flame King howled in pain as the black flames took out his second HP bar before falling to his knees while using his axe for support.

"Way to go, babe!" Yuuki cheered.

"Time to end this!" Kirito shouted. "Everyone, attack!"

Everyone, including Asuna, Leafa and Thorrnn, charged at the boss and began unleashing various Sword Skills on him. The Sylphs struck at the giant's head while the Leprechauns struck his shoulders. Klein and Agil attacked Surtr's arms while Silica and Sinon attacked his chest. Asuna and Yuuki then unleashed «Mother's Rosario» simultaneously and struck the boss in the chest, leaving him with only a small amount of HP left.

"Finish him off, Darkness Duo!" Asuna shouted.

"You can do it, Daddy and Uncle Marth!" Yui cheered.

Kirito then eyed the black dragon and smirked. "Ready, partner?" the Black Swordsman questioned.

"You bet."

Kirito jumped high in the air as he got in front of Marth's face and ran his swords to be parallel with his arms in a cross-like manner.

"Twilight Stream!" the Darkness Duo shouted in sync as they activated the Dragon Soul's «Union Attack».

Marth unleashed a stream of black fire at the Spriggan, however Kirito's swords absorbed the flames as they began glowing purple. Wings of black fire then sprung from the Spriggan's back as flames shot out of his swords. With a mighty howl, Kirito swung his swords, firing a blast of black fire at the giant, piercing right through his chest and taking out the rest of his HP.

"Impossible," Surtr said in shock. "How could I lose to insects like you?"

Kirito landed back on the ground as his fiery wings dissipated while Marth returned to his Spriggan form.

"You made the mistake of underestimating us," Marth replied. "Mess with a dragon, you get fanged."

"But you didn't even bite him in your dragon form," Kirito remarked with a smug expression, prompting Marth to glare at him.

"Not the point," the Dark Swordsman said in annoyance.

Surtr's body then shattered into polygons, prompting a "Congratulations" notification to appear before the guild, prompting them all to cheer.

"That was awesome!" Yuuki exclaimed in joy.

"We finally finished this dungeon!" Silica said in relief.

Marth and Kirito high-fived each other. "We bad," the Dark Swordsman remarked.

"Totally," Kirito agreed.

The Alfheim Warriors made their way to the other side of the room, where they found a fancy chest hiding behind the throne. Marth and Kirito chanted a few spells to check for any traps, and when they didn't find any, they opened the chest and found a fancy looking katana in a red scabbard.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sinon questioned.

"The Soul Blade Kagutsuchi," Marth said slowly before facing Klein, who was shaking with anticipation. "Go on. It's all yours."

Klein cracked a wicked smile and eagerly took the katana from the chest. He immediately drew it from its scabbard and swung it around a few times in excitement.

"Man, this rocks!" the Salamander exclaimed. "I finally have a legendary weapon of my own!"

Kirito simply chuckled in amusement. "Congrats, Klein," the Black Swordsman said as he placed his hand on the samurai's shoulder. "You deserve it. Now then, let's go turn in the quest and head back to Yggdrasil City to celebrate."

"Yeah!" the others cheered.

**Later**

The Alfheim Warriors had finally made it back to their headquarters in Yggdrasil City. Klein had Kagutsuchi equipped and strapped to his waist.

"Man, I'm so happy right now!" Klein said with a big grin on his face. "I don't think anything can bring me down right now."

Asuna giggled at the Salamander's statement. "I don't think I've ever seen you this happy before, Klein," the Undine said. "I'll try to make the best meal to celebrate."

"I'll help out too," Yuuki added.

"You girls rock!" Klein said.

Marth was about to unlock the door to their headquarters but found the door already open. "That's weird," the Dark Swordsman said. "I could've sworn I left this locked."

"Could someone have broken in?" Silica asked nervously as she clutched Pina close to her chest.

"I don't know, but we should be on guard, just in case," Sinon said.

The Alfheim Warriors went inside and found none other than Klaus sitting by their table.

"Klaus!" Marth shouted in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"That's not important right now," Klaus said. "Frank and his friends are about to face a threat bigger than they can handle. They need your help to overcome it."

"We'd love to help, but how would we even get to Alrest?" Yuuki questioned. "We can't travel between alternate worlds at will."

"Most of you here can't," Klaus confirmed. "But there is someone here who can."

"And who might that be?" Marth asked.

Klaus then pointed directly at the Dark Swordsman. "It's you, Marth. You are the third Aegis, the one I've been looking for years."

**To be continued**


	26. The Silver Aegis

Everyone was shocked by the news, especially Marth.

"What are you talking about?" Marth said in disbelief. "How am _I_ an Aegis?!"

"Five centuries ago, a man named Amalthus climbed the World Tree to meet the Architect," Klaus explained. "While he did not find the Architect, he instead brought back three Core Crystals as proof that he had reached Elysium. Two of those Core Crystals were Malos and Mythra. After Malos had chosen to destroy Alrest, Amalthus planned to find someone to resonate with Mythra's core and third core. That was when I intervened. I knew that Mythra had a clear fate, but the third core's path was too uncertain, so I stole it before he could grab it. However, after I managed to reclaim the third core, something strange happened."

"What happened?" Thorrnn questioned, sounding slightly unsure.

Klaus dug into his pocket and revealed a silver Aegis core, however, part of it was darkened. "The third core somehow triggered a space-time anomaly and sent part of its data across space and time," Klaus explained. "That data eventually found its way to your world where it merged with Marth's spirit before he was even born."

Marth gasped in shock. "No way. It can't be true." Despite his words, the Spriggan knew that Klaus was telling the truth. He just didn't want to believe it.

"Think about it," Klaus said calmly. "You possess a rapid-healing ability, could summon a defense barrier to protect yourself, and have hacked into systems to protect your friends. It's all thanks to this core, Fenrir's core."

"But Blades don't age!" Kirito argued. "I've known Marth since childhood, and he aged just like the rest of us."

"Yeah," Thorrnn agreed. "There's no way my brother could be a Blade."

"The reason Marth aged just like you all is because he didn't possess his Core Crystal and because he came into existence differently from how Blades are supposed to come. Because he didn't possess his full core, he didn't have any powers, besides the regeneration and why he couldn't control his defense barrier. I know this must be hard for you all to accept, but it's the truth. Frank and others desperately need help and you're the only ones I can ask."

"But how can I help?" Marth asked. "You just said that I don't have my full core."

"Which is why I brought it here," Klaus said as he held the core out to the blue-eyed Spriggan. "If you touch the core and accept it, it will merge with you and you will regain your powers. Not only will you gain the ability to manipulate space, but you will also be able to use your powers from the virtual world in the real one. You'll also be able to use Artifices as well."

Marth's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Klaus nodded in confirmation. "I am," he answered before sorrow filled his eyes. "However, this power comes with a price. In order for you to successfully merge, you must give up something of equal power."

"But the only thing my brother has that rivals an Aegis's power is his Dragon Soul," Thorrnn remarked. "Are you saying that he has to give up his dragon form just to regain his true self?"

"Unfortunately yes. So what will you do, Marth?"

Marth found himself unable to speak as he stared at the silver Aegis core. He then felt a nudge on his right shoulder and saw that it was Kirito. Marth didn't even bother hiding his worry from his best friend.

"What should I do?" Marth questioned.

"I wish I could tell you," Kirito said solemnly. "I'd offer to choose for you, but only you can make this decision. Just do what you believe is right and know that I'll always back you up, no matter what."

The blue-eyed Spriggan cracked a light smile. "Thanks, Kirito. I know what I have to do." Marth then locked eyes with Klaus. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll merge with my core."

Klaus nodded in acknowledgement. "Very well. But before you do, there's something I wish to share with you, in private."

"Well that's not suspicious whatsoever," Sinon retorted as she glared at the Alrestian.

"I do not wish to hide anything from you," Klaus replied. "Marth is free to share it with you all if he chooses. I just need him to understand the full weight of this decision."

"Okay," Marth said. "This way."

The Dark Swordsman led Klaus into his office and closed the door behind him.

"What do you want to tell me?" Marth questioned.

"There's one other price for you regaining your core crystal, a side effect," Klaus explained. "Because of me, your whole life was altered. You have grown stronger through the various hardships you've endured, but remerging with your core will cause you to face one hardship that will be greater than all the rest combined. If you're not careful, it could shatter your very spirit, leaving you powerless."

Marth folded his arms. "Any idea what that hardship could be?"

Klaus simply shook his head. "I don't, but even if I did, I couldn't tell you about it. There are just some things that are out of your control, things that you can't prevent. So what will you do, Marth, or should I say, Fenrir?"

The silver Aegis core then levitated towards the Dark Swordsman. "Sometimes you must make hard sacrifices for the greater good. It's something that's unavoidable. I'll just have to make sure my friends will be alright."

Marth reached out and grabbed the core with his right hand. He screamed in pain as the core lit up while his Dragon Soul was ripped out of his body. The Aegis core appeared on his chest and his ears became rounded. His coat gained a silver coloring while Lunara and Solaris gained silver Aegis cores in their hilts. The Dragon Soul became a violet orb of power that hovered in front of the new Silver Aegis before disappearing.

"How do you feel?" Klaus questioned.

Marth stared at his right hand and made a fist as silver energy escaped from it. "Weird, but stronger," the Spriggan answered. "Looks like it worked."

"Will you tell your friends about what I told you?"

Marth hesitated as he didn't look Klaus in the eye. "We've got enough to worry about right now. I'll deal with that afterward."

"Very well, but remember that even an Aegis can't prevent every bad thing from happening."

The two then went back to the others, who were all astonished by Marth's new look.

"Nice coat," Celina praised. "And Lunara and Solaris look stronger than ever."

"Listen up," Klaus spoke up. "When you all go to Alrest, only Marth will be able to use his powers from the virtual world. In order for the rest of you to do the same, Marth must unleash his Fenrir Effect. It will allow you to temporarily use your powers until it wears off or Marth shuts it down himself."

"Okay," Marth replied. "We should get going. Thanks Klaus."

"You're welcome. Also, it might be a good idea for you to resonate with someone in order draw out your full power. Anyway, good luck." Klaus then disappeared as he returned to his world.

"So what did Klaus want to tell you?" Yuuki questioned.

Marth lowered his head. "It's not important right now. We need to get to Alrest immediately."

Yuuki's eyes filled with concern as she knew he was hiding something. _"No, don't do this again, Marth. You don't have to shoulder things alone."_

The Imp eyed Kirito, hoping that he could talk some sense into her boyfriend, but he just said, "So Marth, who do you want to resonate with?"

The Dark Swordsman turned towards his fellow Spriggan and held his core with his right hand. "Do you really need to ask? I want you to be my Driver. We've been through a lot together, why would this be any different?"

Kirito simply chuckled. "That's true. So what do I need to do?"

Marth removed his hand from his core, which seemed to be pulsing. "Just place your hand on my crystal and I'll take it from there."

The Black Swordsman smirked. "You got it." Kirito then placed his left hand on Marth's Core Crystal, causing silver light to burst out. Lunara then briefly appeared in Kirito's other hand before it returned to its scabbard on Marth's back. Once the light died down, Kirito removed his hand from Marth's crystal.

"It's done," Marth said. "You're now my Driver, Kirito. You should even be able to wield Lunara and Solaris whenever you need to."

"Cool. I always found it a little weird that if anyone else tried to wield your swords, they'd instantly be overwhelmed by them and unable to move. This certainly changes things."

"Can we discuss this later?" Asuna spoke up. "We need to hurry if we want to help Frank and the others."

The Silver Aegis nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, just give me a second." Marth closed his eyes as he focused his thoughts on Alrest and Frank's group. He also felt the presence of his own Siren waiting for his command. Eventually he found Frank's group on a platform of a strange ginormous tree and were surrounded by enemies.

"Found them." Marth opened his eyes as his Core Crystal began shining. Suddenly a silver portal opened up before the fairies.

"That's awesome," Leafa commented.

"I'll go on ahead," Marth ordered. "Once I'm in an ideal location, I'll make another portal for the rest of you."

"Okay, we'll wait for your signal!" Yui cheered as she sat on her father's head.

The Dark Swordsman eyed the pixie in sorrow. "I'm really sorry, Yui, but you can't come with us," Marth said sadly. "If we go through that portal, we'll come out with our real bodies, not our virtual ones. You're the only one here who doesn't have one, so I don't know what'll happen to you if you go through it. I'm not risking my niece's life over this."

Yui lowered her head in depression. "Oh, okay."

"Don't worry, Yui, we'll be back before you know it," Yuuki said with her usual grin. "We'll make sure to make it up to you."

Yui seemed to cheer up after that.

"All right, I'll head out now. Just wait until I make another portal."

"Watch yourself, Brother," Thorrnn said in concern. "You may have your full power now, but you're not invincible."

Marth simply chuckled. "I'll be alright. See you guys soon." Marth then ran into the portal and found himself free falling near the World Tree in Alrest.

_"Guess I need more practice with my portals,"_ the Silver Aegis thought to himself as he summoned his wings and began flying. _"Glad I didn't have the others come with me through that portal."_

Marth looked down and saw Frank and his friends directly below him and saw that they were surrounded by Indoline soldiers and two Gargoyle Artifices. One of the Indoline Titan weapons was charging its laser to fire at the group.

"I don't think so," Marth declared as his core lit up. "Siren!"

Suddenly a silver particle beam came down from the sky and struck the Titan weapon. The attack stunned the Titan and knocked it off its feet. The Indoline soldiers, despite being confused on what happened, prepared to advance, but they were stopped when Marth landed right in front of them.

"Sorry guys," the Spriggan said as he stood to face the Indoline soldiers. "But that's as far as you'll get."

Frank recognized his voice and turned towards the dual-wielder as the Dark Swordsman drew Lunara and embedded it in the platform before resting his hand on its pommel.

"Stand down," Marth declared with a confident smirk. "None of you are getting past me!"

"No way," Frank said with a stunned expression. "It's Marth!"

One of the Indoline soldiers eyed the Dark Swordsman. "Stand down, swordsman," the monk said arrogantly. "You are making a grave mistake by intervening with the Praetor's decree. The Aegis must be apprehended, and her allies slain."

"Is that so?" Marth questioned. "Unfortunately for you, I couldn't care less what your Praetor thinks. If he or anyone else threatens my friends, then they have to deal with me!"

"You can't seriously believe that you can take on all of us and our Titan weapons, do you?"

Marth simply smirked before shrugging. "Eh, I've been in worse situations than this. But there's only one way to find out for sure."

The Indoline monk growled in frustration. "Arrogant whelp! Destroy him in Praetor Amalthus's name!"

The Indoline Stars and Titan weapon prepared to fire at the Spriggan.

"Watch out, Marth!" Frank cried out in warning. The Master Driver's eyes widened as Marth briefly glanced at him with a confident look before facing the Indoline forces.

The Titans then fired their lasers at the Spriggan, prompting him to draw Lunara out of the ground. He then proceeded to activate «Deadly Sins» and cut through most of the lasers with his sword with ease. However, he missed one attack, which continued sailing towards the dual-wielder.

_"Damn it,"_ Marth thought before he raised his left hand and summoned a silver defensive barrier that blocked the laser.

"What?!" the monk shouted in shock.

"That's a Blade defense barrier," Jin said in realization. "But how can Marth use it?"

Suddenly both Mythra and Malos sensed a unique ether signature coming from Marth.

"So," Malos said with a wicked grin. "My other partner has finally awakened." Zeke gave the male Aegis a confused look.

"It can't be," Mythra said in disbelief. "Marth! Are you…?"

The Spriggan nodded. "Yes. It's a long story but turns out that I'm an Aegis too. Oh, and I didn't come alone!"

Marth then snapped his fingers, causing a silver portal to open up behind the Silver Aegis, allowing the Alfheim Warriors to enter Alrest. Just as Marth had suspected, his friends were all in their regular clothing.

"We're back!" Kirito shouted.

"Hey, Mythra! Long time no see!" Yuuki said while waving fiercely to the female Aegis.

Marth then turned towards his guildmates and said, "You guys ready for this?"

"Yeah!" the Alfheim Warriors exclaimed.

Marth's core lit up as he released a silver wave of energy that spread across the World Tree, reaching even Indol and the other nations. Suddenly Kirito and the other Alfheim Warriors morphed into their ALO avatars and subsequently drew their weapons.

"What the?" Frank said in confusion.

"It's called the Fenrir Effect," Marth explained. "It allows anyone from my world to access their powers from the virtual world in the real one. We didn't need it last time because of the rift, but this time's different."

"We can handle these guys!" Asuna declared as she held her rapier. "Now go!"

Suddenly a Gargoyle landed in front of the Silver Aegis and his friends and readied its laser.

"I don't think so," Marth said as his Aegis Core lit up. Suddenly a silver particle beam struck the Gargoyle from above, annihilating it. The Alrestians were shocked even further at what they saw.

"Marth must have his own Siren," Mythra said. "I think they can handle it from here. We have our own priorities to deal with."

Frank slowly nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Marth! We're gonna go on ahead! Cover us!"

The Silver Aegis nodded in acknowledgement. "Will do. Good luck!" He then eyed his opponents. "All right, guys. Let's show these guys what the Alfheim Warriors are capable of!"

"Yeah!" the others agreed.

The Alfheim Warriors charged at the Indoline soldiers as they activated various Sword Skills.

**Meanwhile**

In an unknown hanger somewhere above Alrest, there was a black Artifice with a silver Aegis core that resembled Marth's dragon form. Its core was currently dark, meaning it was inactive. Suddenly Marth's Dragon Soul appeared before the Artifice and merged with its core, causing both it and its golden eyes to light up. The Artifice then began moving and roared before it disappeared within a silver portal.

* * *

**Original Author's Note: I will not be covering what Marth and his friends do in Alrest. They actually play a very minor role and it would be a pain for me to write about it. If you want to know what they do, check out Chapters 42, 43, and 46 of Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Bonds (when they're posted). Sorry for the inconvenience.**


	27. Elysium

After a series of long battles, Marth and his friends found themselves heading to a large landmass surrounded by an ocean.

"I didn't think Alrest had actual oceans," Marth mused.

"Me either," Kirito added. "Have you ever seen this, Mikhail?"

The Blade Eater shook his head. "Nope. I don't even think this is Alrest anymore."

"It looks like all the Titans are heading for that landmass," Asuna theorized as she saw the other Titans swimming in the same direction.

"What should we do now?" Yuuki questioned.

All eyes went to Marth and Kirito. The Dark Swordsman held his chin as he thought to himself. "First let's signal the others to meet up, then we'll check out that continent together," Marth said.

"Good idea," Kirito replied.

Marth drew Lunara from its scabbard and fired a purple lightning blast from it into the sky.

"Quick question," Yuuki spoke up as they waited for their guildmates. "Why's your lightning purple instead of yellow?"

Marth simply shrugged. "Maybe its because of Sugou. That brainwashing technique of his involved purple lightning. Maybe when I absorbed it from me and Kirito, the coloring just stuck with me."

Asuna shuddered in disgust as she recalled the memory. "That was not a fun experience," the Undine said slowly. "If it wasn't thanks to you, Kirito and Yui, I would be married to that creep right now."

Soon the other Alfheim Warriors had arrived. They all seemed happy that they managed to protect their assigned nations.

"Listen up, everyone," Kirito addressed. "We're going to scout out that landmass over there. If you want to go back home, please say so now."

"Why would we want to do that, Kirito?" Klein asked in exasperation. "We're a guild. We stand together no matter what."

"Yeah," Celina agreed with a smile. "You can't get rid of us that easily."

The Darkness Duo chuckled in amusement before Marth renewed the Fenrir Effect so his friends wouldn't have any unexpected skydiving.

"What are you gonna do, Mikhail?" Yuuki questioned the Blade Eater.

Mikhail just shrugged. "Beats me. I don't even know how I'm still alive after the Marsanes exploded. I'll probably stick around here and help with the rebuilding."

"Didn't you say you knew Jin?" Asuna said curiously. "Maybe you should meet up with him and make up."

The Blade Eater scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I really should after all the things I've done to him and his friends. Tell you what, if you ever find Jin, let me know and I'll race over to him immediately."

"Will do," Marth said. "See you around."

The Alfheim Warriors then took off and headed towards the new continent. Despite never seeing this place before, Marth could sense an air of familiarity from it. It was as if deep down in his Core Crystal, he knew what this place was. Elysium. Suddenly Marth spotted a certain dragon-like Titan soaring towards the continent.

"Kirito, take the others to Elysium," Marth said. "I'm gonna go check on something."

The Black Swordsman noticed Azurda and smiled. "Okay. You know how to find us."

The Silver Aegis then flew over to Azurda, with Yuuki tagging along while the other fairies continued towards the continent. As soon as the duo landed on the Titan, Yuuki said, "Great job, you guys. You stopped Malos and have a new world to call home!"

Jin simply chuckled from the Imp's cheerfulness. "That we do," he said in agreement.

The Silver Aegis then noticed the absence of a certain Blade. "Where's Mythra?" he asked curiously.

Grief filled the eyes of the party as Frank showed the Dark Swordsman the darkened Aegis core in his hand.

"It can't be," Marth said in disbelief. "She's really gone?"

Frank slowly nodded. "She sacrificed herself to save Alrest. She saved us all."

Marth remembered what Klaus told him when he came to Alfheim.

_"You will have to face a hardship unlike anything you've ever experienced before,"_ Klaus had said. _"If you aren't careful, it could shatter your spirit and leave you powerless."_

_"Could this have something to do with Klaus's warning?"_ Marth thought to himself. _"No, it can't be that. Whatever Klaus was warning me about, it must involve something happening in my world."_

"Marth! Marth!" Yuuki called out, bringing the Silver Aegis out of his thoughts. "You've been really quiet. Are you okay?"

"Sorry," Marth said slowly. "I was just… thinking…"

"Are you ever going to tell me what Klaus told you?"

Marth couldn't bring himself to look his girlfriend in the eye. "Maybe sometime. It's not important right now."

Yuuki's eyes filled with sorrow as it seemed like her boyfriend was returning to his old habits as a solo player. "Marth," she said quietly. "When will you realize that you don't have to do things alone."

_"I can't get the others involved with this,"_ Marth thought slowly. _"This is my problem and mine alone."_

Meg unexpectedly grabbed Jason by the arm and pulled him close as they sat down. Mika and Kasandra were also sitting down while holding hands. The others, except Frank, Marth, and Yuuki, sat down as well and admired the raining red embers.

"I wonder what we'll find there," Mika said.

Jin shrugged. "Who knows. All I know is that this gives us a second chance at living. We better not waste it."

"I wonder if I can find anything to salvage here," Ethan said curiously. "I haven't done any salvaging in forever. It might be a good idea to get back into it now that there's peace in the world."

"Makes sense," Poppi replied. "You and I will be the best salvager team there is!"

Frank wasn't paying attention as he looked up at the sky. Unbeknownst to him, one of the falling embers touched the Aegis core in his hand, causing it to regain its green color. Marth, who was talking to Yuuki and Brighid, suddenly went silent as he felt a familiar presence.

Frank also felt the presence and looked down at the Aegis core in awe, which was flashing rapidly. _"Can it be?"_ was all he thought before the Aegis core unleashed a pillar of green light, catching everyone by surprise as they were forced to shield their eyes. Marth was the only one didn't and simply smiled while folding his arms.

When the light died out, the Aegis core in Frank's hand was gone. He then saw none other than Mythra, in her ascended form, smiling. Needless to say, the party, along with Yuuki, were shocked.

"No way!" Mika exclaimed.

Their shock was soon replaced with joy at the sight of the female Aegis being alive.

"You're okay!" Yuuki shouted as she sprinted to Mythra and pulled her into a tight hug, which the Aegis returned.

"Yuuki," Mythra said as she struggled to breathe from the Absolute Sword's tight embrace. "Could you… let go? I can't breathe!"

Yuuki looked a little embarrassed as she let go of the Emerald Aegis. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I just got excited."

Marth noticed that Frank hadn't moved. The Dark Swordsman simply chuckled to himself before giving his counterpart a light push on the back. "Well, don't keep her waiting," Marth chided as Frank faced him. "Go on."

"Yeah," Frank agreed before turning to face his friends, who were all silently telling him to go too. Frank turned towards Yuuki and Mythra as they faced him. He then turned his gaze to Mythra.

"I love you, Frank," Mythra said plainly.

Frank smiled with joy before saying, "I love you too, Mythra." He then approached the emerald-haired Aegis and kissed her on the lips, which she quickly returned.

"Well, it's about time," Marth said as Yuuki moved beside him to give the new couple some space.

"Tell me about it," Yuuki replied. "I'm happy for Mythra. She deserves someone special."

"Definitely," Marth agreed.

Frank and Mythra then parted. "Mythra, how did you…?" the Aegis Driver asked.

"I'm a Blade remember? As long as my crystal's intact, I'll always come back. You can't get rid of me that easy."

Frank couldn't help but smile. "Cool. I'm just glad that you're back."

The Emerald Aegis smiled back. "Me too, Frank. Me too." She then turned to the Dark Swordsman. "Hey Marth. Malos wanted me to give you a message."

"What is it?" Marth asked, sounding curious.

"He wanted me to tell you to choose your Driver carefully. Someone you can trust to handle your full power. Someone like Frank is to me."

"Interesting," the Silver Aegis said before staring at his right palm. "Someone I can trust with my full power. I feel like I've been giving it my all, but after seeing what you were capable of doing, I can't help but wonder if I've got even more power deep inside."

"Who knows," Mythra said. "I wouldn't be surprised if your true power was equal to mine. Just promise me that you'll follow Malos's advice."

"I will."

The group then spent the remainder of the flight chatting.

**Two days later**

The Alfheim Warriors and the newly formed Alrest Champions were celebrating their victory in Fonsett Village. Everyone was surprised to find out that Mythra was stuck in her ascended form permanently, but she didn't seem to mind. They even invited Niall, Luke, Minoth, Iona, and Mikhail as well.

Jin was shocked when he saw the former Torna member alive and well. "Mikhail? How are you here?"

The Blade Eater shrugged. "Beats me," he admitted. "Even I thought I bit the dust back there. Guess the future's got other plans for me."

The Paragon of Torna chuckled. "So what will you do now?"

"I don't know. I think I'll join up with Jason and Pandoria as they work to restore Tantal. It was created by the Tornans after all. Besides, it'll help me to make amends for everything I did against the world."

"I see," Jin said. "Very well. Take care of yourself then."

"Don't worry," Mikhail said with a smirk. "I will."

The duo then heard Asuna call out, "Jin! Yuuki and I need some help with dinner!"

"All right!" Jin answered back. "I'm coming." He then went to help the Undine and Imp players.

Meanwhile Marth and Mythra were talking with Minoth, who was looking a little worse for wear.

"Thorrnn and Leafa told me what you did," Marth said. "How could you fight in your condition. You could've died."

Minoth let out a sickly cough. "I couldn't… just stand by and watch," the old Flesh Eater said. "I had to do something to help."

"Minoth," the Emerald Aegis said slowly. She then locked eyes with Marth and nodded in sync. "You might want to hold still."

Minoth raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why? What are you going to do?"

"Just be quiet and do what I say!"

The two Aegises held their right hands at the Flesh Eater's Core Crystal before they sent green and silver lights into it. Suddenly Minoth's appearance changed as he became a young adult, his gray hair becoming brown and tied back in a ponytail.

When they were done, Minoth looked at himself in disbelief. "What did you guys do to me?" he questioned.

"We restored your immortality," Marth explained. "One of the perks of us being Aegises."

Minoth looked at the duo in awe. "Thank you," was all he could say.

"Don't mention it," Mythra replied.

"By the way," Minoth added. "I'm planning on rewriting my play on the Aegis War. With Amalthus gone, I can now show people what really happened five hundred years ago without fear. And as thanks for you two, I'll write a play about your adventures."

"Cool," Marth said. He then noticed Frank on Corinne's balcony, staring at them. He gave Mythra a slight nudge. "Your boyfriend's looking at us. He might be getting jealous."

Mythra simply chuckled. "Yeah right. You really don't know Frank at all. Getting jealous isn't his style."

Marth laughed in response. "Well you would know better than anyone."

"That I do."

The two Aegises then went over to Frank, while Minoth went to check on Iona, who was playing with Silica and Pina.

"We certainly have a lot of people here," Frank said.

"Yeah," Marth agreed. His eyes then filled with torment.

"What's wrong?" Frank asked.

"I… have something I need to tell you both," the Silver Aegis said slowly. "Remember when I showed up in the Genbu Crown and just watched as Zeke defeated you."

Frank nodded. "Yeah. You said you didn't interfere because it was a losing battle. What about it?"

Marth lowered his eyes. "About that… That was a lie. Even if it was a losing battle, I still would've joined in regardless."

Both Frank and Mythra gasped in shock. "What?" Mythra exclaimed. "Then why didn't you…?"

"Because something told me not to. It overrode my own instincts. I couldn't even speak, much less move. I could only watch as Zeke took you away. I'm really sorry."

Frank's eyes filled with pity. "Marth," he said slowly.

"I've always felt guilty about that," Marth continued. "That's part of why I helped you this time, to try and make up for it."

The Aegis Driver gave his counterpart a light smile. "Don't worry about it," Frank said. "Maybe it was for the best that you hadn't interfered then. If you did, I don't think I would've gone to unseal the third Aegis Sword. All in all, everything worked out in the end."

Mythra chuckled in amusement. "Always the optimist."

"Hey guys," Kirito said as he approached the trio. He, along with the other Alfheim Warriors, were in their regular clothing, except for Marth. "Asuna and Jin have finished making dinner. Let's go eat."

"Alright. Let's go." Mythra grabbed Frank's hand and led him into Corinne's house, with Marth and Kirito close behind.

Marth felt a pang of guilt as he eyed his partner, his Driver. He couldn't keep Klaus's warning a secret from him.

"Kirito, there's something you should know," Marth said quietly.

The Spriggan player eyed his partner curiously and noticed the pain in his eyes. "What's wrong?" Kirito asked as he and Marth broke off to talk in private.

"Remember when Klaus wanted to tell me something in private? Well, turns out there was another price to me restoring my Core Crystal. Not only did I have to give up Dragon Soul, but I'd have to go through a hardship that is greater than anything I've ever faced before."

Kirito gasped in shock. "What? Are you sure?"

Marth slowly nodded. "Yeah. I didn't want to mention it earlier because we had to focus on protecting Alrest, but when we get back to our world, I'm going to have to deal with this."

"Do you want to tell the others about this?" Kirito questioned.

"Maybe later. They've all risked enough already. I don't want to put them in any more danger, especially Yuuki and Thorrnn."

Kirito then put his hand on his partner's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Okay, if that's what you want," he replied. "But don't even think you can't keep me from getting involved. Your battles are my battles. We're partners until the bitter end."

Marth cracked a light smile. "Thanks, Kirito. I don't what I'd do without you."

Kirito returned the gesture. "Same here. Now let's go eat."

The Darkness Duo then entered the house and took seats by Asuna and Yuuki.

"This looks incredible!" Silica said in excitement.

"Smells good too," Luke added.

"Well," Asuna said. "Let's eat everyone."

No one needed to be told twice and started to chow down. Yuuki noticed Marth powering through an eight-ounce steak like it was nothing.

"Slow down, Marth," she reprimanded. "You're going to choke."

"No, I won't," Marth argued before helping himself to some chicken.

"Where do you even put all that?" Sinon questioned as she watched the Dark Swordsman eat.

"I'm an Aegis!" Marth defended. "I need a lot of fuel, okay!"

The Alrestians chuckled in amusement.

"That certainly sounds familiar," Sonum said as she eyed a certain green-haired Aegis.

Mythra rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Eating habits aside," Niall spoke up. "What is everyone's plans in this world of ours? Mine is to relocate Mor Ardain into a more fertile location."

"You'll have my aid as well, Your Majesty," Meg added. "We will lead Mor Ardain into a new beginning."

"I will help as well," Luke replied.

"So will Brighid and I," Aegaeon said.

"I guess I could return to Tantal and help my father rebuild," Jason said. "Mikhail's already volunteered to accompany me."

"Don't forget us," Kasandra said. "Mika and I are coming too. We can't break up the Chaos Quartet!"

Mikhail groaned. "Great. We are so gonna die before we even reach Tantal."

"Hey!" Mika and Kasandra protested.

Pandoria shrugged. "Sorry, guys. I have to agree with Mik on this. You two are a magnet for misfortune."

Mythra simply giggled. "What about you, Ethan? What will you and Poppi do?"

"Well my father and Lila are planning to set up a repair shop in Mor Ardain," Ethan answered. "He offered me and Poppi jobs there, and I decided to accept. I plan on doing a lot of salvaging in this land to sell in the shop."

"Just don't think of using me as a ship," Azurda said. It turns out Mythra gave him the ability to shift between his larvae form and adult form at will. He was currently in his smaller form and sitting on the table. "Anything that you would attach to my body will be lost whenever I change."

"Dromarch and I have decided to stay here," Sonum added.

Kirito eyed his fellow Aegis Driver curiously. "What about you, Frank? What are your plans?"

Frank didn't answer right away as he looked at Jin, Roc, Nia, and finally Mythra. "There's some rebuilding that needs to be done here in Fonsett," Frank said. "Once it's done, I want to explore Elysium. There must be a lot of cool secrets here."

Mythra placed her hand on top of her boyfriend's. "If that's what you want, then you can count me in," she said with a smile. "I go where you go. Always."

"You can count all of us in as well," Roc added. "Right guys?"

"Absolutely," Nia said.

"Of course," Jin agreed.

"Let me know if you guys need help," Minoth added. "It's the least I can do since Mythra and Marth healed me. How did you two pull it off anyway?"

"Your human and Blade cells were out of balance," Marth explained. "That's what caused you to age. I focused on healing your human side while Mythra healed your Blade cells. We couldn't have done it on our own."

"I see," the Flesh Eater replied.

"Anyway," Marth continued. "We'll probably hang around for a few more days before we head back to our world. Even without the Conduit, I'm still capable of traveling between worlds."

"Hey Marth," Frank spoke up. "Let's make a promise. If one of us, or any Remnant, is in trouble, more trouble than they can handle, the others will come to help. That sound good?"

"Sounds like a plan," Marth said with a smile.

The rest of dinner went by quickly. After dinner, the group decided to play music and dance. Thorrnn somehow managed to convince Leafa into doing karaoke together and began singing some of their favorite songs. While everyone danced to the music, the focus changed to the windowsill, which had three pictures on it. The first was of Addam's group and the other two was the pictures Frank and the others took in Indol.

Marth went over to the pictures briefly when the one with Addam's group caught his eye. He picked up the picture to investigate and looked right at the boy and girl dressed in black. While he couldn't recognize the girl, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the boy was him as he could easily recognize Lunara and Solaris's hilts that were poking from behind his back.

"Impossible," Marth muttered under his breath.

"Something wrong?" Marth turned around and saw Jin standing behind him.

Marth immediately placed the picture back in its place and said, "No, it's nothing."

Jin raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "That's you in the photograph, isn't it?" The Dark Swordsman gasped. "I knew it. Given how you didn't react when you first met me and Pyra, I'm guessing this photo was taken some time in your future."

"Possibly, but you guys didn't recognize me either. Why is that?"

Jin folded his arms. "It might have something to do with our memory loss. Even me and Myth… I mean Pneuma, have lost parts of our memories. Not to mention that Brighid's diary on the Aegis War doesn't mention us fighting alongside two people dressed in black, except for Minoth of course. Do you have any idea on who the girl is?"

Marth shook his head. "No, I don't. So what are you gonna do with this information?"

"Nothing at the moment," Jin admitted. "I've known you long enough to know that you're a good person. If you really did fight alongside us in the first Aegis War, then it was an honor."

The Dark Swordsman simply smiled. "The honor would've been mine. Maybe you should talk to Minoth about this. He's the only one who fully knows what happened in the past."

"Not a bad idea."

Suddenly both swordsmen eyed one of the windows where they saw a glimpse of long green hair fade into the shadows.

"Did you see that?" Jin questioned.

"Yeah," Marth replied. The duo turned and saw that Pneuma was still dancing with her boyfriend, so whoever they saw outside wasn't her.

Everyone stuck around for another two days before deciding to go their separate ways. Niall, Luke, Ethan, Poppi, Meg, Brighid, and Aegaeon set off for Mor Ardain. Jason, Pandoria, Mikhail, Mika, Kasandra, and Wulfric left for Tantal, while Minoth and Iona returned to Uraya. Marth then summoned a wormhole connected to his world by snapping his fingers.

"You have got to teach me how to do that," Pneuma said eagerly.

"Maybe some other time," Marth replied. "I've got a feeling we'll be seeing each other soon."

"How are you able to do that anyway?"

Marth shrugged. "I think this is my Aegis power, the ability to manipulate space. Your's was seeing the future and rewriting the natural laws, while Malos's was destroying matter. Who knows how far I can go with it?"

Pneuma folded her arms. "Interesting," she mused. "That Fenrir Effect you did, are its effects permanent?"

Marth shook his head. "No, after a while, it's effects will wear off, not to mention that I can cancel it at will. Either way, I know it'll come in handy in the future. Anyway, I think it's time to go."

"Goodbye, everyone!" Yuuki said before the Alfheim Warriors began entering the wormhole.

Marth was the last to leave as he shook hands with his counterpart. "Take care of yourself, Frank," the Silver Aegis said.

"You too, Marth," the Aegis Driver replied.

"Goodbye, Marth," Pneuma added.

The Dark Swordsman then entered the portal before it closed behind him. The portal then reopened in a park in Tokyo, where Frank and his friends exited. However, they quickly saw that their city was overrun by monsters from the virtual world.

"What the hell?!" Andrew shouted in shock.

"What's going on?!" Meg said in confusion. "Why are there monsters in the real world?"

Frank gritted his teeth as he morphed into his ALO form. "I don't know, but we need to find out." Marth then released a mini Fenrir Effect, allowing his friends to change into their ALO avatars before they hurried towards the monster-filled city.

* * *

**Finally, the final arc of Dark Swordsman 2 begins, the Demon War arc. Also, from this point onward in this story, all of the Alfheim Warriors will be going by their avatar names. It'll make things a little easier on my part and less confusing. Just as a heads up, Yui won't be appearing during this arc either since it takes places in the real world except for some possible minor cameos, saves me some headache.**


	28. Battle of Tokyo

A woman and her son were cornered by a minotaur wielding an axe. The monster raised its axe at the family, prompting the woman to shield her child with her own body. But the attack never came. When the woman turned around, she saw Marth blocking the minotaur's axe with his swords. The Dark Swordsman then pushed the axe away before activating «Vorpal Strike» with Lunara and stabbed the minotaur in the heart, killing it and causing its body to dissolve into shadows.

"Are you okay?" Marth asked the woman, who slowly nodded.

"Yes, thank you for saving us," she said.

Marth gave the family a forced smile. "You're welcome. Now get to safety."

The woman acknowledged and led her son away while Kirito hurried to his partner, dual-swords in hand.

"My section's clear for now," Kirito said. "What about you?"

A dire wolf tried to bite at the blue-eyed Spriggan, but the dual-wielder easily dodged before slashing its right side with Solaris, killing it instantly and causing its body to disappear.

"Working on it," Marth replied.

The Darkness Duo looked at the sky, where they saw Thorrnn, Leafa, Klein and Agil fighting gargoyles and wyverns. The guild had split up in order to protect more areas at once, but the problem is that the monsters just keep coming.

"At this rate we'll be overrun," Kirito said grimly. "There must be something we can do to turn the tide."

Suddenly an idea popped into Marth's head. "Maybe we should call for some reinforcements," Marth suggested. "And we know exactly where to find an army."

Kirito smirked as he realized his partner's intent. "That'll work. And I think we both know who can get our message across."

The Darkness Duo went deeper in the city, cutting through any monsters that got in their way. Eventually they found none other than Kikuoka with a squad of Japanese soldiers who were fighting two golems and were not doing very well at it.

"What the hell?!" one of the soldiers exclaimed as he saw their bullets bouncing off the monsters. "How come our guns aren't working?!"

Kikuoka gritted his teeth in frustration. "Hold your ground! We can't let these things harm the civilians."

Suddenly two black blurs jumped over the Japanese soldiers and struck the golems, knocking the monsters back. Kikuoka then watched in shock as Marth blocked one of the golems' arms with his swords, allowing Kirito to finish it off with «Horizontal Square» using his right sword. Kirito then noticed the other golem swinging its arm at him, prompting him to activate «Vertical» with Excalibur to deflect it. Marth then finished off the remaining monster with «Savage Fulcrum».

The soldiers were all in shock at what they just witnessed.

"Kirito, Marth, how did you…? What's going on?" Kikuoka struggled to say.

"It's a long story, Mr. Kikuoka," Marth replied. "We need you to send a message to all the VRMMO players in Tokyo. Tell them to gather outside the New National Stadium."

Kikuoka looked confused. "Okay, but why?"

"It might be easier to show you." Marth then unleashed a mini Fenrir Effect, causing Kikuoka to change into Chrysheight.

"What the?" the Undine said in disbelief.

"Long story short, Marth has the ability to let players use their powers from the virtual world in the real one," Kirito explained quickly. "We'll explain how later when we're not under siege by monsters."

Chrysheight slowly nodded in understanding. "Okay. I think I understand what you two are getting at. Our military weapons aren't having much effect on these things, so it makes sense that we'd fight them with something a little more, fantasy. I'll make sure to spread your message to the other VR players."

"Thank you," Kirito replied. "We'll see you there."

The Spriggans then summoned their wings and took off towards the New National Stadium. As soon as they landed in front of the stadium, they immediately began fighting skeleton monsters who were wielding swords and shields that were there. Marth quickly blocked one skeleton's attack with his dual-swords, allowing Kirito to kill it with «Sharp Nail». Kirito then blocked another skeleton's sword with Excalibur before Marth killed it with a lightning Sword Skill. It wasn't long before they dispatched the remaining skeletons, which was around the time when the remaining Alfheim Warriors, Chrysheight, and many of the other players from ALO and GGO arrived.

"We got your message," Eugene said. "Why'd you want us to come here, Darkness Duo? And why are you dressed in your avatars?"

The Spriggans locked eyes and nodded before facing the others. "Listen up, everyone," Marth announced. "Our city is under attack by monsters. There's too many of them for us to handle alone. We need all of your help if we're going to repel these invaders."

"Okay, but how can we help?" Yamikaze questioned. "There's not much we can do about it."

Kirito simply smirked. "Show them, partner."

Marth nodded in acknowledgement as his Core Crystal began shining before he unleashed a Fenrir Effect that spread throughout the whole city. All the players who had gathered in front of the stadium were shocked as they changed into their avatars. The Darkness Duo then quickly explained that Marth was an Aegis and the nature of the Fenrir Effect.

"I see," Chrysheight said as he adjusted his glasses. "So that's how you do it. Interesting."

"Everyone, please, we have to protect our home," Kirito said desperately. "We're the only ones who have the power to fight these monsters. So please, fight with us!"

There was silence for a while before the Salamander general broke it with a chuckle. "It's not every day that you hear the Darkness Duo asking for help," Eugene said. "Takes me back to the Battle of the World Tree. I say that we stand with them and fight!"

"As do I," Sakuya agreed. "This is something we cannot avoid. Alfheim stands with you."

"As does GGO," Yamikaze added as he loaded his gun. "Now let's show these bastards what we're made of!"

"Yeah!" the other players shouted.

Both Spriggans were filled with gratitude as their guildmates watched them with pride.

"Thank you all," Marth said with a smile. "Here's the plan. We'll split into squads, some for ground and some for air. The GGO players will make up the ground force with some ALO players for support while the remaining ALO players will fight the monsters in the sky. If any civilians are in danger, take them to a safe zone immediately. And remember that this is real life, not a game, so don't be reckless out there."

The other players acknowledged their orders and prepared to break into squads.

"Wow," Asuna said as she and Yuuki approached their boyfriends. "You guys handled that really well. Not at all like the raid meetings back in Aincrad. You've really come a long way, Darkness Duo."

Both boys simply scratched their heads sheepishly. "Neither of us are actually fans of that title," Kirito admitted. "It's the same with my 'Black Swordsman' and Marth's 'Dark Swordsman' nicknames. It makes us sound like heroes."

"But you guys _are_ heroes," Yuuki argued. "You're the ones who cleared SAO, stopped Sugou's plan along with Death Gun's."

"But there were four thousand people we failed to save back in Aincrad," Marth replied gravely. "Kirito and I don't have any right to call ourselves heroes because of it."

"But that was out of your control," Asuna said. "You can't blame yourselves for every player death that happened in Aincrad."

Both Spriggans just looked away from the girls in silence. Soon the other Alfheim Warriors approached them.

"Hey Sinon, you should be able to switch to your GGO avatar if you want to," Marth said suddenly. "Kirito and I can do the same."

The Cait Sith archer smirked. "Cool," Sinon replied before she switched to her GGO avatar, causing her bow to change into her Hecate rifle.

"What about us?" Lisbeth questioned. "Can we access our SAO avatars?"

Marth simply shrugged. "Yeah, I don't see why not."

As soon as he finished, Lisbeth, Celina and Agil switched to their SAO avatars.

"I never thought I'd wear this outfit again," Agil mused as he looked himself over.

"Ditto," Celina added as she did the same.

Kirito then noticed Asuna switch to her SAO avatar as well, causing Lambent Light to appear in scabbard strapped to her waist. "You too, Asuna?" the Black Swordsman questioned.

The Lightning Flash nodded. "Of course. I think this avatar fits me more. Why don't you switch to your SAO avatar too?"

Kirito let out a hesitating grunt as he looked away from his girlfriend.

"Or not," Asuna added quickly. "There's nothing wrong with using your ALO avatar to fight."

"So anyway," Klein spoke up, wanting to change the subject. "Where should we go? Are we gonna fight on the ground or sky?"

"Ground," Marth and Kirito said instantly, causing the others to laugh.

"I mean, since most of us here can't fly, it only makes sense," Marth continued.

"He does have a point," Thorrnn said.

The groups of players then broke up to defend their city. The Alfheim Warriors were battling two wyverns (one was black and one was red) and were actually holding their own. The red wyvern fired a breath attack at Silica, but it was blocked by Marth's defense barrier. Kirito and Yuuki then moved in and sliced the wyvern's sides with their swords. Asuna then unleashed «Star Splash», leaving devastating wounds on the monster. Sinon kept in the back row and fired bullets into any weak points she found in both wyverns while Lisbeth and Celina protected her from any stray attacks.

Agil, Silica and Klein ran their weapons through the black wyvern while Leafa and Thorrnn blasted it with wind and fire spells respectively. The black wyvern swung its tail at the samurai, launching him into the sky but he quickly caught himself by summoning his wings and descended back to the ground.

Marth then unleashed «Heavenward Tempest» on the red wyvern, striking it in the chest while Thorrnn unleashed the fire spell «Flare Stream», which was a vortex of red fire, on the black wyvern. The two spells forced the wyverns into each other and left them unable to move.

"Let's finish this," Kirito said. "Ready Marth?"

The Dark Swordsman nodded with a smirk. "Yeah!"

The Darkness Duo switched to their GGO avatars, with their secondary swords changing into FN Five-Sevens. Kirito's right sword changed into his photon sword while Lunara's blade gained a laser element and retained its silver Aegis core in the hilt.

"Cool," Marth commented as he examined his sword before he heard Thorrnn snicker in amusement. "What's so funny?!"

"Nothing," Thorrnn said in mock innocence. "I was just thinking how cute you and Kirito look in those avatars."

The lightswordsmen both grumbled in annoyance. "Not the time for that, Thorrnn," Marth retorted.

"Let's just ignore her," Kirito suggested, not bothering to see the emerald-haired Sylph's glare.

The Darkness Duo and their friends then charged at the wyverns. The red wyvern unleashed a breath attack at them, but Asuna dispelled it with a Sword Skill. The black wyvern, on the other hand, tried to get up but Sinon stopped it by shooting one of its legs, forcing it back on the ground. Klein and Agil unleashed Sword Skills against the wyverns' necks while Lisbeth, Silica and Celina attacked their undersides. Leafa and Thorrnn used their wings to get on the monsters' backs and severed their wings with their swords, effectively grounding the wyverns. Asuna and Yuuki then unleashed «Mother's Rosario» in sync and lunged at the red wyvern's chest, inflicting devastating damage that quickly killed it.

Meanwhile Kirito and Marth charged at the remaining wyvern and severed its front legs with their photon swords, toppling it to the ground. The black wyvern screeched in pain and tried to retaliate by readying another breath attack, but the duo shot at its eyes, blinding it. The lightswordsmen then howled as they lunged their photon swords at the wyvern's chest, right where its heart was located, killing it. The duo then returned to their ALO avatars, with their weapons changing back to normal, as the two monsters dissolved into shadows.

"That was awesome!" Yuuki exclaimed in excitement. "We took those things down with no problem!"

"Calm down, Yuuki," Asuna replied as she surveyed the battlefield and saw that the other players were winning their fights. "It looks things have gone in our favor. At this rate, this battle will end in our victory."

"But why's this happening?" Silica questioned. "There shouldn't be any monsters in our world, so where did they come from?"

 _"You will have to face a hardship greater than anything you've experienced so far,"_ Klaus's voice echoed in Marth's head. _"If you aren't careful, it could shatter your spirit and leave you powerless."_

 _"Is this the hardship that Klaus warned me about?"_ Marth questioned. _"Is this all my fault?"_ He eyed Kirito, who looked just as conflicted as him.

"Well, well, it seems this world has some fight in it after all," a familiar voice declared, prompting the guild to raise their guard.

"Who said that?!" Klein shouted. "Where are you?!"

"Up here," the voice said simply. Everyone looked up and saw none other than Zarc looking down on them from a small building.

"Jarrod!" Marth exclaimed in anger. "What are you doing here?!"

The Demon King cackled in amusement. "My name's not Jarrod any longer," he said arrogantly. "Thanks to my master, I have been reborn as Zarc, my _true_ nature."

"What are you talking about?" Kirito questioned fiercely.

"I've told you all how I was trapped within the Lunara for centuries, correct?" Zarc said as he made fist with dark power radiating from it. "You see, even after I freed myself from that damn blade, part of its taint remained with me, weakening me even after death. After you and Mythra defeated my master, he graciously decided to revive me and also cleanse me of the Lunara's power. I then decided to come to your world to get my revenge on you for my last two defeats and to avenge my master."

"Good luck with that," Yuuki goaded. "There's no way you can beat us."

Zarc simply sneered. "Is that so?"

Marth then felt a cold sensation run down his spine and saw that Zarc was about to attack. The Demon King raised his right arm at the group as a magic circle appeared before it. He then fired a dark beam at the group through it, prompting Marth to raise his defense barrier. While the barrier did endure the attack for a few seconds, it quickly broke through and struck the ground where they were, creating an explosion that knocked them off their feet.

"No way," Sinon said in shock.

"He's much stronger than before," Kirito added. "If his power rivals Marth's, then this will be much harder than last time."

"The Black Swordsman's correct," Zarc stated. "As much as I would love to continue this debacle, it seems my forces are depleting. I will return soon." He then turned his back on the group.

"Wait!" Marth shouted as he rose to his feet. "Come back here and fight me!"

Zarc looked down at the Silver Aegis from over his shoulder. "We'll battle soon enough, Marth. This was just a taste of what is to come. When this war is over, your city will be in ruins and everyone you love will be slain. This I vow to you." Zarc then disappeared, along with the other monsters.

The Alfheim Warriors were shocked at what they learned.

"So Jarrod's back, but now as Zarc," Asuna mused.

"He's clearly not messing around," Yuuki added. "I never would've thought that he was this strong."

"What are we going to do now?" Silica questioned.

All eyes went to Marth and Kirito, who both looked stumped on what to do.

"Let's regroup with the others and treat the injured," Marth said finally. "I've got a bad feeling that the worse is yet to come."

"Me too," Kirito agreed.

The guild began heading back to the stadium. As they walked, Kirito pulled Marth to the side and quietly said, "I think this was what Klaus was warning you about when you restored your core. The stakes have never been this high before."

Marth slowly nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think you're right, which means this is all my fault."

"Don't blame yourself for this," Kirito replied. "Zarc probably would've attacked anyway. But we need to tell the others about this. They deserve to know."

"Yeah, they do," Marth said quietly as they continued on.

* * *

**Sorry if this chapter seemed short. This just felt like a good stopping point. Anyway, Zarc has finally revealed himself to the group and shown some of his true power. If you're a little confused on why Marth didn't switch to his SAO avatar despite him doing it in the Temporal Island arc, it's because he was just experimenting to see if it would work at the time. As this chapter has pointed out, he actually doesn't like his "Dark Swordsman" persona, mirroring Kirito in a way, something I don't think I portrayed really well throughout this story. This will be really important later on in the arc.**


	29. Driver and Blade

Most of Tokyo was damaged in a way or another. In fact, it was hard finding anything that _was_ still intact. Some buildings had holes in them, others were reduced to rubble. Roads were cracked and filled with debris and abandoned cars.

Marth and his friends had arrived at the New National Stadium where they hundreds of people being treated by the ALO players. Asuna chose to switch back to her ALO avatar to help heal the injured, with Thorrnn and Leafa joining her.

"How awful," Silica spoke up. "I can't believe so many people got hurt in this one battle."

"It could've been a lot worse," Sinon said as she noticed a handful of tarps over bodies that were off to the side. "If it wasn't for Marth's Fenrir Effect, most of these people could've died."

Marth lowered his head in shame, which caught Yuuki's notice. The Absolute Sword grabbed her boyfriend's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Don't look so glum," she said reassuringly. "These people are alive thanks to you."

The Dark Swordsman didn't respond and just stared at the ground. Only Kirito knew why he stayed silent but chose not to speak up. The group spent the next few hours helping the injured. After that, they attended a meeting to plan their next move. The main speakers were Marth, Kirito, Asuna, Chrysheight, Eugene, Sakuya, Alicia, and Yamikaze.

"We found out who's behind this attack," Marth addressed. "His name is Zarc. Me and my friends have fought him several times before. Apparently, he's attacking to get revenge."

"But how did he bring monsters from virtual world to the real one?" Yamikaze questioned.

"That I don't know. It could be similar to my Fenrir Effect, only it summons monsters instead."

"I say we track down Zarc and kill him," Eugene declared. "If he's gone, then this whole war will be over."

"While that is true, General, we don't know where Zarc is," Sakuya voiced. "We would waste valuable resources trying to find him."

"Not to mention that Zarc's on a completely different level than before," Asuna added (she was back in her SAO attire). "He was able to shatter Marth's defense barrier with a single attack. He won't go down so easily."

"So what should we do then?" Alicia asked.

Marth and Kirito locked eyes and nodded in silent agreement. "We focus on building our defenses," Kirito replied. "We know that Zarc will attack again, so instead of trying to find him…"

"We let Zarc come to us," Marth took over. "He caught us off-guard this time, but if we dedicate our time to fortify ourselves, we'll be ready when his army attacks again."

"I see," Chrysheight said with interest. "Siege tactics (I know nothing about military tactics so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). I never would've thought you two would think of something like that."

The Darkness Duo scratched their heads sheepishly. "Well, we had a little practice with tactics during the raid meetings back in Aincrad," Kirito replied. "So are we in agreement?"

The group locked eyes and nodded.

"Alright," Asuna said. "Now let's get started."

**Meanwhile**

Zarc was in an abandoned military base somewhere outside of Tokyo, chanting in an unknown language when suddenly a goblin entered the room.

"Master Zarc," the goblin spoke up, causing the Demon King to stop his chanting.

"What is it, Krem?" Zarc asked, not bothering to turn around.

"The mages have finished preparing the ritual. They await your command to begin."

"I see. Good work." Zarc then exited the room with Krem trailing behind him. "How were our losses?"

"Not as bad as we thought it was," Krem answered. "If we play our cards right, we can launch another assault in about a week or so."

Zarc then sneered. "Excellent."

The Demon King and Krem then entered a large hanger that had several dark mages and three large blood-red magic circles with a smaller one in the center.

Zarc got in the middle circle and said, "Begin."

He and the dark mages began chanting in an unknown language as the magic circles began glowing. Suddenly the Skull Reaper, the Fatal Scythe, and a two-headed giant with a crystal below its neck appeared from the circles. The three monsters then charged at the demon, who simply blocked them with a dark barrier.

"You will serve me!" Zarc declared as he summoned his sword.

The Skull Reaper simply screeched as it charged at him again. It swung its right scythe at Zarc's waist, which he effortlessly blocked with his sword. Before the Floor 75 boss could follow up its attack, Zarc fired a dark beam at it from his sword. The beam struck the monster's chest, knocking it into the wall, where it laid unmoving.

The two-headed giant let out a mighty roar before it charged at the Demon King. The giant swung its hammer down on him, but Zarc easily jumped out of the way before punching it in the gut with his fist, causing the giant to collapse on the ground. The Fatal Scythe went down just as easily too.

"How pitiful," Zarc said in disappointment as he brushed himself off. "I barely even broke a sweat. Then again, these things did lose to humans, but they'll still have their uses." He then faced the dark mages. "Begin the binding ritual!"

The hanger was then filled with red light.

**Four Days Later**

Marth, Kirito, Asuna and Yuuki were walking down a street where they saw dozens of people building barricades, either through magic like «Earth Barrier» or actual materials.

"Looking good so far," Marth said.

"We've managed to fortify about forty percent of the city and moved most of the civilians into shelters for their protection," Asuna explained. "That should minimize any casualties."

"But will that be enough?" Kirito questioned. "We don't know how big Zarc's army is or what's in it. He might even have countermeasures in place to shatter our defenses."

Yuuki simply patted the Spriggan on the back. "You worry too much, Kirito," the Imp replied. "Everything will be just fine. If things go south, Marth can just summon Siren and wipe the floor with them."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Marth said solemnly as he saw Thorrnn helping their parents into one of the shelters, who waved at him before he waved back. The Silver Aegis then locked eyes with his partner and nodded.

"Yuuki, Asuna, tell the others to meet us at Dicey's," Marth said suddenly, catching the girls' off-guard.

"Huh? Why?" the Lightning Flash asked.

"There's something we need to tell you, but it has to be in private," Kirito replied.

"Okay," Asuna said slowly, still confused. "We'll see you at Dicey's then."

The girls then watched as the two Spriggans flew off.

"What was that about?" Thorrnn questioned as she approached the female duo.

Yuuki shrugged. "Beats me," the Absolute Sword said. "What could be so important that they'd want to keep it private?"

"Who knows with those two," Asuna chided before facing the Sylph. "Anyway, how are your parents handling this, Thorrnn?"

"Not well," Thorrnn answered grimly. "My dad's really against me and Marth fighting, but we're the only ones who stand a chance in this war. What about you two?"

"My family are staying out of town until this whole thing ends," Asuna said. "My mother wanted me to come with them, but thankfully my father talked her out of it. There's no way I'd run and hide while you all are risking your lives."

"As for my family, they're staying in a shelter near the New National Stadium," Yuuki added. "I try to visit them whenever I've got free time, but I can tell they're worried about me."

"I see," Thorrnn said before eyeing Asuna. "How's Yui doing?"

The Lightning Flash lowered her eyes before saying, "Since the government shut down all the VRMMO servers in Tokyo so we could focus on the war effort, Kirito and I haven't been able to visit her in ALO. We've been able to talk with Yui through the phone but its just not the same."

Yuuki eyed her friend in sympathy. "All the more reason for us to end this as quickly as possible."

"Anyway," Asuna continued. "Let's gather the others and meet up at Dicey's."

The other girls nodded in agreement as they hurried to find the other Alfheim Warriors.

**Dicey Café**

Marth and Kirito were sitting by the bar. The café was one of the few buildings that was completely unaffected from the first attack. Agil wasn't there since he was busy helping his wife move into a nearby shelter.

"Should we really tell them?" Marth questioned, looking uneasy. "What if this will cause them to hate me?"

"That won't happen," Kirito assured. "There's no way any of our friends would hate you for this."

Marth gave his partner a light smile. "Thanks Kirito."

Suddenly they heard the door open and saw the rest of their guild enter the café.

"Hey, Kirito. Hey Marth," Klein greeted.

"Why did you guys want us to come here?" Celina asked curiously.

The Darkness Duo took a deep breath. _"Here goes,"_ Marth thought before saying, "Thank you all for coming. I know you're all busy with your different tasks, but there's something Kirito and I need to tell you."

"And that is…?" Leafa questioned.

Marth held his Core Crystal with his right hand, which was gleaming on his chest. "It involves my core and what Klaus told me in private," the Dark Swordsman said. "It turns out there was a second price to restoring my Core Crystal. According to Klaus, his interference in Alrest caused my path to drastically alter from its original course. He told me that if I restored my core, I'd have to face a hardship greater than anything I've experienced before."

The others, except Kirito, gasped in shock.

"Wait, are you saying that this 'Demon War' is the price for you regaining your Core Crystal?" Thorrnn questioned.

"That's what we believe," Kirito mused.

"You _knew_ about this, Kirito?!" Lisbeth exclaimed.

The Black Swordsman slowly nodded. "Not at first. Marth told me this back in Fonsett Village," Kirito explained. "After seeing Zarc again, we knew this was too big to keep quiet."

Marth lowered his head in shame as he lowered his right hand to his waist. "I'm sorry, everyone," he said sincerely. "I should've told you guys this sooner. If you want to take your anger out on me or leave, I won't hold it against you."

Suddenly the Silver Aegis felt someone grab his hands and saw that it was Yuuki. "Tell me honestly, do you regret restoring your Core Crystal?" the Imp asked.

Marth was taken aback from the question but shook his head. "No, I don't."

Yuuki then gave her boyfriend a loving smile. "Then stop worrying about it," she said. "I'm one of the few people here who know you the best. I know that you would never want something like this to happen."

"Yuuki," Marth said in awe.

"I recall a time where you and Kirito told me and Leafa that a player and their avatar are one and the same," Thorrnn added. "If you give into your doubts now, it'll affect your fighting abilities and we can't have that."

"This world needs the Darkness Duo now more than ever," Asuna took over. "I know you and Kirito hate that title, but its true. I'm not saying you guys need to use your SAO avatars again, but please, try to be the heroes everyone sees you as."

"Hell, if it wasn't for you and Kirito, I never would've survived in SAO," Klein said with a smile.

"I know I would be dead if it wasn't for you guys," Sinon added.

"Same," Silica spoke up. "And I never could've gotten Pina back without you two."

The Spriggans stared at their friends in awe. "Everyone," Marth said slowly.

"Zarc may be powerful, but we've got an Aegis and his Driver on our side," Asuna said. "There's now way he'll win this war."

The Darkness Duo slowly smiled. "Yeah," Kirito said before facing his partner. "How about we do some training to make sure we've got a handle at this?"

Marth nodded in agreement. "Okay." He then faced the others with an innocent smile. "So, who wants to take us on?"

Everyone, except Yuuki and Asuna, who were laughing, cringed in fear.

**Later**

The Alfheim Warriors were in the park, which was relatively unharmed. Klein and Yuuki were sparring with Kirito, who was wielding Marth's swords while his partner supplied him with power. There was also a gold aura radiating from both Spriggans. The others were simply watching from the sidelines.

Despite being outnumbered, Kirito was easily holding off both Klein and Yuuki. In fact, he seemed stronger than ever. Kirito managed to deflect Klein's katana Sword Skill with Lunara before quickly evading Yuuki's sword that would've hit his right arm before countering with «Horizontal».

"Damn, I can't land a single hit in," Klein complained.

"Me either," Yuuki added in an annoyed tone. "You sure you guys can't see the future or something?"

Marth chuckled in amusement. "I don't have Foresight like Pneuma does," he replied. "All my powers are doing is enhancing Kirito's reaction time and his attack power."

Klein slouched in exasperation. "That's freaking cheap, man," the samurai moaned. "How's anyone supposed to beat that?!"

"By not giving up," Yuuki said simply before she activated «Vorpal Strike». The Absolute Sword then charged at the Dark Swordsman and lunged her sword at him but was shocked when Kirito suddenly got in the way and blocked her attack with Marth's swords.

"Sorry, but you'll have to go through me to get to Marth," Kirito said with a smirk.

Yuuki grunted in frustration before swinging her sword at the Spriggan's left side, but Kirito blocked it with Solaris. Kirito then countered by swinging Lunara at the Imp, but she simply ducked out of the way before sweeping his legs out from under him.

"You're done," Yuuki said in triumph as she put one foot on the Black Swordsman's chest to hold him down and pointed her sword threateningly at his face.

Surprisingly, Kirito just smirked. "Oh really?" he questioned.

Yuuki's eyes widened in shock as she noticed that Lunara was missing. She then barely managed to avoid a «Vorpal Strike» from Marth, who was wielding the missing sword, by jumping out of the way.

The Absolute Sword gritted her teeth as Marth helped his partner to his feet before returning Lunara to him. "Damn it," she said in frustration. "I keep forgetting that Marth can summon his swords at will, even if they're wielded by someone else."

"They sure don't fight like we're used to," Klein voiced. "But that might be needed to win this war."

"You guys wanna keep going or do you want a break?" Marth questioned.

The Salamander slouched in exhaustion. "I'm done," Klein admitted as he sheathed his legendary katana. "I just can't keep up with you two, even with Kagutsuchi."

"Okay," Kirito said in understanding before eyeing the Imp. "What about you, Yuuki?"

"What do you think? Of course I wanna keep going," Yuuki said eagerly. "I won't quit until I beat you."

The others simply laughed. "That's Yuuki alright," Asuna said in amusement. "She never backs down from a challenge."

"This'll be good," Lisbeth said as she brought out her phone and accessed the camera.

"Are you seriously gonna record this?" Celina questioned her fellow Leprechaun.

"Yep," the pink-haired blacksmith said with a mischievous smirk. "It's not every day that we'll see the Absolute Sword get creamed."

"If you're not careful, Yuuki will clobber you with her OSS," Sinon voiced, causing Lisbeth to flinch but she still kept her phone out to record.

"Hey Kirito," Marth said suddenly. "How about we change things up a little?"

The black-eyed Spriggan smirked in anticipation. "It's like you read my mind!"

Marth then switched to his GGO avatar, prompting his swords to change as well.

"No fair!" Yuuki protested. "How come you get a ranged weapon and I don't?!"

"Your fault for not having a GGO account," Kirito replied.

The Spriggan then charged at the Imp and swung his sword down at her head, prompting Yuuki to block with her sword. Sparks flew as metal clashed with photon lasers. Yuuki managed to force Kirito away by kicking him in the stomach but she then had to duck to avoid the bullets fired from his FN Five-Seven (both Marth and Kirito can choose to make the bullets fatal or not through willpower, as can anyone with a GGO avatar. The bullets will still hurt but they won't cause any physical damage if they do this).

Yuuki then slashed at Kirito's chest but he managed to roll out of the way before they both unleashed a flurry of attacks on each other, with neither one giving in. After two hours or so, both Yuuki and Kirito lying on the ground in exhaustion. Marth, who was back in his ALO avatar, was lying down as well from the fatigue of transferring a lot of his power to Kirito through his weapons.

"*Pant*, again," Yuuki said tiredly. "I'm *pant* worn out."

"Me *pant* too," Kirito replied before facing his partner, who was lying next to him. "Looks like we've gotten the hang of this Driver and Blade business. Zarc won't know what hits him."

"Yeah," Marth said in agreement. "Just make sure to be careful with how much energy you draw from my weapons. I'm not an unlimited power source. If you draw out too much energy, I won't be able to support you until I recharge."

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

The group then noticed that the sun was beginning to set, prompting them to begin heading to government building near the New National Stadium because of a curfew that forbade people from wandering outside at night, unless they were part of the night patrol. The building, along with a few others near it, served as a home base for all the VRMMO players that chose to fight and is where the group was staying. Each guild/squad had a makeshift dormitory all to themselves for them to sleep and hang out. While there were mess halls for everyone to eat in, players were allowed to cook and eat in their dorms.

When the guild entered their dorm, they scattered to do their own thing. Marth and Kirito immediately crashed on one of the couches, while Asuna, Leafa and Yuuki went into the kitchen. Sinon was inspecting her Hecate to make sure everything was still functioning while Celina and Lisbeth were doing the same with everyone else's weapons. Thorrnn and Silica were playing with Pina (Silica's cat, not the dragon). And finally, Klein and Agil were playing a game of poker.

"We really need to get more rations tomorrow," Leafa said as she saw the low amount of food in the cupboards and fridge.

"Well if two certain Spriggans stopped sneaking in midnight snacks every night, we wouldn't have this problem," Asuna said smugly as she eyed the dual-wielders.

"How many times do we have to tell you?!" Marth exclaimed. "It's not us!"

Everyone, except the Spriggans, burst out laughing.

Asuna, Leafa and Yuuki then fixed a fast meal for everyone. After dinner, the guild got ready for bed. Since space was limited in the dorm, they did have to share bedrooms, one for the guys and two for the girls, with each having two beds. Having only two bathrooms didn't help either since the girls tended to hog both of them.

"How come the girls get two rooms but we only get one?" Klein complained as the boys entered their room.

"Because they outnumber us," Kirito said simply.

"Do you want to face their combined wrath?" Marth asked the samurai, who flinched with fear.

"Please no," the Salamander pleaded. "Anything but that!"

"Let's just get some sleep," Agil spoke up. "We've got a big day ahead of us."

Marth then turned off the lights before he and Kirito climbed into their bed while Agil and Klein got in theirs. Agil and Klein fell asleep instantly, however the Spriggans found it difficult to go to sleep due to a certain samurai's snoring, prompting the duo to move to living room and crash on the couches.

"I don't know how Agil's able to sleep with Klein's snoring in there," Kirito whispered in annoyance.

"Beats me," Marth muttered back. "Anyway, good night, Kirito."

"Good night, Marth."

* * *

**Original Author's Note: This chapter ended up being longer than I intended but it works just fine since this was meant to be a little slow. So now the others know about the other price for Marth restoring his Core Crystal and it allowed me to give him and Yuuki a special moment. FYI, Marth still hasn't gotten over his old solo habits and he won't be getting over that for a while. Anyway, now we see just how powerful Kirito and Marth are when they work as Driver and Blade and they'll need to be with how strong Zarc is. But will that be enough? You'll just have to wait to find out. Another thing I forgot to mention, any more Fenrir Effects will be happening offscreen for the remainder of the story. I just think it's lazy for me to constantly repeat it.**


	30. The White Wolf

**This chapter will be focused mainly on Kirito, which isn't something I've really done before. Given how this is the last arc in this story, I can't guarantee how many more of these kinds of chapters will follow, much less with the other characters, but I digress. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

"Marth, it's time to wake up," Thorrnn said as she gently shook her brother's shoulder. It was barely light outside as the sun slowly rose outside.

The Dark Swordsman slightly stirred but kept his eyes closed. "Five more minutes," he muttered.

"Fine, I'll just tell Asuna not to make breakfast for you."

Marth immediately shot up awake, much to the Sylph's amusement. Asuna and Leafa were also awake and in the kitchen.

"So predictable," Thorrnn said with a chuckle as she noticed Kirito sleeping on the other couch. "So Klein forced you and Kirito out of your room again?"

"Yeah. When did you guys wake up?"

"About thirty minutes ago," Thorrnn replied. "Did you know Yuuki snores too?"

"Duh, I was married to her remember?" Marth deadpanned, causing his sister to scratch her head sheepishly.

Asuna merely giggled. "Hey Marth, can you come with me to get more rations?" the Lightning Flash asked.

"Uh sure," Marth said in confusion. "But why do you need me to go with you?"

"Because you're strong enough to help me carry them all."

Marth slowly sighed. "Alright. Let me just get dressed first."

The Silver Aegis got off the couch and quietly entered the boy's room where he quickly changed into his ALO outfit before returning to the living room. Marth and Asuna then left the dorm before heading to the food distribution center.

As they looked through the shelves, Asuna said, "You know, this is the first time we've hung out, just the two of us."

"Yeah," Marth agreed. "Usually Kirito and Yuuki are with us."

Asuna then brushed her bangs nervously with her hand before facing the Aegis. "Hey Marth, can I ask you a personal question?" she asked slowly.

Marth eyed the Lightning Flash curiously. "Uh, sure. What is it?"

Asuna's face was a little red for a moment before saying, "If you hadn't met Yuuki in SAO, who do you think you would have fallen for?"

A blush quickly appeared on Marth's face as he struggled to form a reply. "Wh-what brought this up?"

"N-no reason. I've just been wondering this ever since we started practicing the Stormsurge spell. That spell kinda requires a strong bond between the castors in order to pull off."

Marth then caught on to what Asuna was implying. "I see now. You're wondering that if I hadn't met Yuuki in SAO, if I would have developed feelings for you instead, right?" he questioned.

Asuna slowly nodded as she looked away from the Spriggan. "I know it's kind of stupid, especially since I'm dating your partner. But the thought's been bugging me for months now. I need an answer to put this to rest."

Surprisingly, Marth let out an amused chuckle as he placed his hand on his waist. "Well you can stop worrying about it now," he replied. "Even if I did develop feelings for you, I would never act on them because I knew Kirito had a crush on you. If I pursued my own feelings, I'd be betraying my best friend, and that's not okay for me."

The Lightning Flash eyed the Spriggan in bewilderment. "So you're saying that you care about Kirito too much to try to pursue a relationship with me." Asuna then smiled. "That sounds just like you. I feel a lot better knowing that. Thank you."

Marth smiled back. "You're welcome." He then grabbed a bag of frozen chicken strips from one of the freezers. "Looks like I found my breakfast for the next few days."

Asuna giggled in amusement as she remembered why they there in the first place. After collecting more rations, the duo headed back to their dorm, where they saw that Kirito, Sinon (who was in her ALO avatar), Klein and the others were all up.

"About time you guys got back," Sinon said. "How long does it take to gather rations?"

Marth and Asuna simply laughed sheepishly. "Sorry everyone," the Lightning Flash said sincerely. "I'll get started on breakfast right now. Would you like to help me out, Marth?"

"Uh," Marth said nervously. "Do you want to give everyone food poisoning? I can't cook to save my life."

"It's true," Thorrnn said smugly. "My brother can't even make toast properly."

The Silver Aegis glared daggers at his sister, to which the others simply laughed.

"You just haven't had the right teacher yet," Asuna assured. "I'll make you a pro in no time."

Marth still didn't look too sure but allowed Asuna to lead him into the kitchen, with Thorrnn and Leafa joining them.

"Since when were Marth and Asuna so close?" Klein asked curiously.

"Well Marth and I hung out with Asuna a lot back in Aincrad," Kirito answered. "Not to mention that Asuna developed a spell to directly counter Marth's Dragon Soul if he ever lost control of himself. Then there's the time when they practiced the Stormsurge spell together."

Yuuki then puffed her cheeks in mock annoyance. "Hey, what am I?! Chopped liver?! I hung out with you guys a lot too!"

The others simply laughed at the Imp's response.

"Are you jealous or something?" Lisbeth said smugly. "Maybe Asuna's trying to steal Marth from you."

"She wouldn't do that!" Yuuki shouted out in protest as her face went beet red.

Asuna then poked her head from the kitchen and eyed at the others. "What are you guys talking about in there?" she asked in suspicion.

"Nothing," Lisbeth, Celina and Sinon replied.

Asuna simply shrugged before going back to help Marth and the Sylphs.

Klein then nudged Kirito on the shoulder.

"Liz has a good point," the samurai teased. "Maybe Asuna's cheating on you with Marth."

Kirito grunted in annoyance before stomping on Klein's foot, prompting the Salamander to comically jump around while holding his injured foot.

"Don't even joke about that, Klein," Kirito scolded. "I know Marth better than anyone. He would never cheat on Yuuki, much less with Asuna."

Klein groaned as he sat down on a chair. "Jeez. It was just a joke. No need to take it so seriously."

"Well you were kinda asking for it, Klein," Silica replied as she rubbed her cat's fur.

Kirito then zoned out from the conversation as he thought about his dream from last night.

**Kirito's dream**

The Black Swordsman was in a strange forest at night with the full moon high in the sky. The shadows from the trees made it difficult to see, though the moonlight managed to leak through the branches.

"Where am I?" Kirito asked aloud as he walked around. "What is this place?"

Suddenly a beastly howl filled the air, prompting Kirito to tense up as he cautiously eyed his surroundings while instinctively reaching for his swords in preparation for a fight. Soon a familiar black and white wolf with blue eyes appeared before him from the shadows.

Kirito gasped in shock. "Marth?! Is that you?" he questioned hastily.

The wolf didn't answer him and merely stared at the dual-wielder in longing.

Deciding to take a gamble, Kirito lowered his hands, not drawing his swords, and slowly approached the wolf. "Don't you recognize me, Marth?" he pressed further. "It's me, Kirito. Your best friend. Come on, I know you can understand me, Marth, so please answer me."

"I am not Marth," the wolf answered, its voice sounding ancient and powerful.

Kirito instinctly stopped in his tracks. "What? Then who are you?"

"You will find out in time," the wolf said. "Right now, follow me."

The wolf turned and walked deeper into the forest, not bothered by the darkness. Kirito hesitated for a moment before he followed the wolf to a strange temple made of a mysterious black material with a wolf's head above the entrance.

"What is this place?" Kirito asked.

"This is the Temple of the Fang," the wolf answered. "Come, we must hurry."

The duo then entered the temple, which had torches on the wall to light the way.

"This temple was built to honor the twin wolf gods, Fenris and Remus, during the Era of Darkness," the wolf explained. "Fenris and Remus were among those who fought by Zane and Celine's side in the war against Zeta. The two were powerful duo, capable of wiping out entire armies by themselves."

"Wow, they were that strong?" Kirito said in awe. "Awesome."

"They were," the wolf said solemnly. "However, near the end of the war, both gods fell in battle, along with the Twilight Dragon, Critias. Zeta himself appeared and killed them personally, though Critias was the one who held out the longest. Luckily, Zane and his best friend were able to save their souls before the Dark God could consume them. They were then able to harness the wolf twins' power and take on their forms, while Zane also managed to harness Critias's power as well. While they could not harness their full power, it was enough to help turn the tide in the war. After Zeta's defeat, Zane and his friends disappeared, leaving the souls of Fenris, Critias and Remus behind. Fenris and Remus were taken to this temple where they were sealed away. Critias, on the other hand, was sealed elsewhere."

"But why would they be sealed away?" Kirito asked. "Shouldn't they be allowed to rest in peace after all that?"

"Because they didn't want to," the wolf replied simply. "All three knew that Zane would need their powers again, so precautions were made so he and his friends could gain their powers again. One year ago, your friend, Marth, was summoned here to break the seal on Fenris before he later broke Critias's seal. While he managed to master Fenris's power with ease, Critias gave him more trouble."

Kirito cringed as he remembered the incidents involving Dragon Soul. "Yeah, I know. I was there when that happened. But what does this have to do with me? Why am I here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the wolf said smugly. "You, Kirito, are going to release Remus's seal."

The Spriggan gasped in shock. "Wait, does that mean _I'll_ be able to use Wolf Heart?!"

"Only if you prove to Remus that you are worthy of his power."

While Kirito was excited at the thought of being able to use Wolf Heart as well, he couldn't help but notice something odd in the wolf's explanation.

"Hold on," he said suddenly. "You said Marth was here before. But he never mentioned any of this before. He didn't even know how he got Wolf Heart and Dragon Soul. They just… appeared."

"That is because Critias blocked Marth's memories of his visit to the temples. He did it as a way to test the Dark Swordsman and it seemed to pay off in the end."

The duo then entered a courtyard that had two wolf statues. The first statue was black and white with a darkened orb in front of it. The second one's colors were inverted and had an orb in front of it as well, except it was glowing purple. The wolf walked in-between the statues before facing the dual-wielder and sat down.

"Okay," Kirito said slowly. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Place your hand on the orb and the test shall begin," the wolf explained. "But be warned, once the test starts, you cannot back out from it. Either you win or you fail."

Kirito felt a sense of unease wash over him. "Uh, I might regret asking this but… What happens if I fail?"

"If you're worried about dying, don't. You will just wake up in your world with no recollection that this happened, but you will never get a second chance to break the seal again. Remus's soul will instead find someone else from your world that he believes is worthy of his power."

 _"Remus will find someone else to test?"_ Kirito thought to himself. _"But who could…?"_ Suddenly images of a certain Imp and Undine appeared in his head. _"Of course they would qualify, but I can't risk it."_

"Hey, my world's in trouble right now," Kirito spoke up. "If I succeed in breaking this seal, would I be able to save it?"

The wolf was silent for a moment before answering, "Perhaps. I cannot make any guarantees, but it will increase your chances for victory."

Kirito smirked confidently. "That's all I needed to know." He then approached the statue with the glowing orb. "Alright Remus, whatever your test for me is, I'll beat it. There's too much riding on this for me to lose here." Kirito placed his right hand on the orb, causing it to unleash a blinding purple light.

While Kirito shielded his eyes with his other arm, the wolf simply thought, _"Good luck, Kirito. May you succeed against my brother."_

When Kirito opened his eyes, he found himself in some canyon with dozens of caves. The Black Swordsman drew his swords and investigated his strangely quiet surroundings.

"So you believe that you are worthy of my power," a voice said suddenly.

Kirito tried to track down the voice's source, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Show yourself!"

"Very well." Suddenly a large wolf (which was the size of a bear) with white fur and black markings appeared from a cave to the right of the Spriggan. The wolf stared at him with its ancient silver eyes.

"I'm guessing you're Remus," Kirito said.

"You are correct," the wolf god confirmed. "One year ago, your partner managed to unlock my brother's power. Now it is time to see if you can unlock mine."

"Let me guess, I have to beat you to do it."

Remus nodded in confirmation. "Indeed. You are used to having Marth by your side. Now it is time to see how you stand without him. If you want to back out, this is your last chance to do so."

Kirito chuckled confidently as he took on his usual fighting stance. "Oh please. I don't back down from a fight that matters. I can't lose this fight!"

The wolf smiled, or at least Kirito assumed it was a smile. "You've got spirit, Black Swordsman," Remus said. "Good. You'll need it. Now, prepare yourself!"

The white wolf then pounced towards the Spriggan, who managed to roll out of the way in time before he countered by slashing Excalibur at the wolf's side. Remus, however, proved to be more agile than he appeared and easily dodged the golden blade.

The two opponents then circled each other before charging at each other. Remus slashed Kirito's side with his left claws, tearing part of his coat, while Kirito managed to thrust his right sword against the wolf's side. However, Kirito's sword actually bounced off the wolf's coat, not leaving even a scratch.

"What?" the Spriggan said in confusion.

"Did you think that I am like my brother?" Remus said smugly. "Fenris and I were blessed with magical coats that made us legendary. While Fenris gained a high resistance to magic, I gained a high physical defense. Not even your Excalibur can harm me."

Kirito gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damn. Now what am I gonna do?" he muttered.

Remus then charged at the Black Swordsman. Knowing that he couldn't fight the beast head-on, Kirito instead summoned his wings and took to the air.

"At least wolves can't fly," the Spriggan remarked.

Suddenly he saw a silver blur jump high into the air before he found himself tackled to the ground with Remus keeping him pinned under his paws.

"I may not be able to fly," Remus answered as he barred his fangs. "But I can jump very high."

Remus then lunged his fangs at Kirito's neck, but the Spriggan managed to move his head out of the way in time. Kirito then managed to get his left hand free and blocked Remus's second attack with Excalibur, with the golden blade holding back the wolf's maw.

 _"If physical attacks won't work against Remus, then I'll have to use Sword Skills that deal elemental damage,"_ Kirito thought.

Suddenly Excalibur's blade began glowing white as Kirito activated the light-based Sword Skill «Radiant Strike». Remus found himself suddenly forced away from the dual-wielder as the latter rose to his feet. Kirito then charged at the white wolf as he lunged Excalibur at him. Remus tried to dodge it by moving to the side when suddenly Kirito swung the holy sword horizontally and striking Remus in his left flank, leaving a gash that drew blood behind.

"What's that about Excalibur not hurting you?" Kirito asked smugly.

Remus let out a snarl. "It seems I underestimated you a little. However, even if your elemental Sword Skills can injure me, there's one major flaw in them. After you use a Sword Skill, it leaves you frozen for a few seconds. I guarantee that those few seconds will be fatal… for _you_!"

Kirito tightened his grip on his swords in frustration. _"Crap. So Remus knows about the post-motion delay in Sword Skills,"_ he thought. _"But I bet he doesn't know about a certain exploit involving Sword Skills."_

The Black Swordsman suddenly activated «Vorpal Strike» with his right sword and lunged at the wolf's head. Remus easily evaded the attack and prepared to counter when Kirito quickly activated «Savage Fulcrum» with Excalibur and turned towards his opponent. Kirito howled as he slashed at Remus's chest with the holy sword before turning the blade ninety degrees and pushing it in further, causing a block of ice to briefly appear on Remus's back before it exploded. Kirito then adjusted his grip on his left sword before turning around and concluded the Sword Skill by doing a full-powered vertical slash, causing another block of ice to appear on Remus where the sword exited before it exploded.

Kirito then grunted as he activated «Horizontal Square» with his black sword and turned towards his opponent again. He then performed four high-speed horizontal slashes on the white wolf's chest, causing a glowing square to be drawn from the streaks before it dissipated.

Remus let out a growl. "You…" he began.

"I'm not done yet!" Kirito shouted as he activated a dark-element Sword Skill with his left sword and stabbed into Remus's chest, piercing into the skin and temporarily stunning the wolf. Kirito then did an upward slash with Excalibur as he activated his wings and jumped high into the air. The Black Swordsman then rested his right sword on his shoulders as he activated «Vorpal Strike» once more, though the sword was glowing purple instead of its usual red.

"You're finished, Remus!" Kirito shouted as he lunged his black sword at the wolf god's chest while descending. The Spriggan impaled his blade into Remus's chest, causing the wolf to howl in pain as shadows surrounded them.

When Kirito's feet touched the ground, he pulled his sword out of the wolf, prompting Remus to collapse on the ground. The dual-wielder found himself completely exhausted and fell to his knees and began panting.

"Well… done," Remus said with pride. "You… have beaten me. You have proven… to be worthy of… my power, Kirito."

The Spriggan smiled in exhaustion as he used his black sword to support himself. "Well you're no pushover yourself, Remus," he replied.

Kirito then found himself back in the temple courtyard. His swords were back in their scabbards.

"So, you defeated Remus," the black wolf said. "Congratulations, Kirito." Suddenly an orb of purple light appeared before the dual-wielder. "As promised, the Wolf Heart technique."

The orb then flew into Kirito's chest, filling him up with new power. "Wow," he said as he stared at his palms. "I feel incredible."

"That is good to hear," a familiar voice said. Remus then appeared by the black wolf. "It's been too long, Brother."

"That it has, Remus," the black wolf replied.

Kirito then gasped in shock. " 'Brother'? Wait, are you Fenris?!"

The black wolf chuckled in amusement. "Indeed I am. A part of my spirit now lives on in Marth, allowing to use my power, just as a part of Remus's spirit now dwells within you."

"Because your partner managed to enhance his wolf form before you got yours, your Wolf Heart will be strengthened to be on par with his," Remus took over. "Unlike your other abilities, you can activate Wolf Heart without what you would call a Fenrir Effect."

"Hold on, I can change into a wolf when I'm in the real world with my own power?" Kirito questioned.

"Of course," Remus confirmed. "Marth could do the same with both Dragon Soul and his Wolf Heart, but because of Critias, he never tried. And now your friend has given up Critias's power forever. That decision _will_ come back to bite him, make no mistake about it."

"One more thing before we return you to your world," Fenris spoke up. "When you and Marth are in your wolf forms at the same time, your powers will be boosted. That may come in handy in the battles to come."

The Black Swordsman nodded in confirmation. "Okay. I'll make sure to tell Marth about that. Thanks for the power."

"Just don't go overboard with it," Remus said in a scolding manner.

"Oh come on!" Kirito exclaimed before he disappeared into purple light.

As soon as the Spriggan vanished, the two orbs by the wolf statues lit up.

"Now then," Remus said. "Time to test the _other_ Remnants."

**The real world**

"Hey Kazuto," Leafa spoke up as she stood in front of her brother. "Breakfast is ready."

"Huh?" the Black Swordsman was brought out of his thoughts and saw that everyone was by the table.

"Hurry and get over here!" Yuuki said impatiently. "I'm starving!"

The others simply laughed while Kirito and Leafa took seats by the table, which had a lot of food on it.

"This all looks really good," Celina said, impressed.

"Tastes good too," Silica said as she took a bite of her food. "Thanks, Asuna."

The Lightning Flash smiled at the young Cait Sith. "I don't deserve all the credit. Marth really helped out."

The blue-eyed Spriggan scratched his head sheepishly. "I'm just surprised it turned out all right," Marth admitted. "Though it's probably because I just followed your instructions, Asuna."

The group then began eating. As they ate, Kirito decided to bring up his dream. Everyone was surprised by it, including Marth.

"So wait, you can use Wolf Heart too now, Kirito?" Agil questioned.

The black-eyed Spriggan nodded. "Yeah. It felt way more than a regular dream and I can feel a new power inside me."

Marth held his chin with his right hand. "Interesting," he said slowly. "I remember feeling the same way when I got Wolf Heart and Dragon Soul. And we'll get a buff if we're using Wolf Heart at the same time."

"Fenris and Remus also told me that you took two trials to unlock those abilities," Kirito explained. "Apparently some dragon named Critias blocked your memories of them to test you."

"Critias…" Marth then held his forehead as he began remembering the events. "Hold on. It's starting to come back to me. I had to beat both Fenrir and Critias in order to break their seals. Critias was the harder of the two to beat but I somehow managed to win using my lightning magic."

"Speaking of which," Kirito said. "I think I need to get back to practicing my dark magic. That fight with Remus showed just how much I rely on you and my swords in a fight."

"Well, it'll certainly come in handy right now," Lisbeth stated. "Our only magic users happen to be Marth, Asuna, Leafa, and Thorrnn. Sure, they're all powerful but that might be enough to defeat Zarc."

"Don't worry, Kazuto," Leafa assured. "Me, Thorrnn, Marth and Asuna will help you all the way. Right guys?"

"Of course," Asuna said.

"You can count me in," Marth added.

"It's not like I can refuse a request from my best friend," Thorrnn finished.

Kirito couldn't help but smile in joy. "Thanks guys. I'll try my best not to disappoint you."

* * *

**Original Author's Note: So now Kirito can use Wolf Heart as well now and teased at him learning dark magic. This idea came to me while reading OddEyesGreyDrake's review on wanting me to give Kirito something since Marth is so powerful with his Wolf Heart, lightning magic and Aegis powers (granted at the time of his review, they hadn't gotten to that part involving Marth being an Aegis yet). And we finally know how Marth obtained Wolf Heart and Dragon Soul in the first place and learn a bit more of his character. Anyway, that's all for now. See you guys in the next chapter!**


	31. Hell on Earth

**Two days later- mid afternoon**

Marth, Kirito, Asuna (in her ALO form), Leafa and Thorrnn were in the park practicing their magic. They have been given the day off after having spent the previous days building more fortifications to Tokyo. The other Alfheim Warriors were busy doing other things around the city. Out of all of them present, Kirito was having the most trouble with his spells.

"Man, this is hard," the Spriggan complained as he looked through the dark-magic spell list that Alicia wrote for him. "I can barely even pronounce these words. And some of these spells have over _twenty_ of them. I'll never master dark magic at this rate."

Leafa giggled in amusement. "Calm down, Kazuto," she said warmly. "You can't force yourself to be master spellcaster. You've already shown to have a knack with the dark-element. You just need to keep practicing until everything becomes second nature."

"She's right," Thorrnn agreed. "Once you master a spell, you'll be able to cast it without chanting its incantation. All you'll have to do is picture it in your mind and unleash it on your target."

"That's not entirely true," Marth countered. "If Asuna and I ever want to use Stormsurge, then we have to chant the incantation."

"That's because Stormsurge is a Unison Spell," Thorrnn explained. "Unison Spells require two casters to chant the incantation in order to use them so there's no way a shortcut can be used. Although they make up for it by being super powerful."

Kirito raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Hold on. Are there more Unison Spells besides Stormsurge?"

Leafa nodded as if it was obvious. "Duh, of course there's more than one Unison Spell," the blonde Sylph stated. "There's at least one Unison Spell for every type of magic, even for the sub-groups like Lightning. But you're no where near ready to try your hand on the Dark Unison Spell. It's better if you stick to the basics and work your way up from there."

Kirito then eyed his partner in anticipation. "Hey Marth, when I master dark magic, how about you be my partner for the Dark Unison Spell?"

The Dark Swordsman smirked confidently. "You got it!"

The two Spriggans went back to practicing their magic while the girls watched.

"Lightning and Darkness," Asuna commented. "Talk about an interesting combination."

"You said it," Leafa replied. "It's good that Kazuto is improving so quickly, but I don't think he's ready yet."

"Yeah," Thorrnn said grimly. "It's been a week since Zarc's first attack, and it's been quiet ever since. What exactly is he up to?"

Asuna held her chin in her hand as she ran different scenarios through her head. "Well Zarc's army did take a lot of casualties during the first attack," the Undine said inquisitively. "If I was him, I'd try to rebuild my forces before launching another attack, especially with how powerful Marth is. There's no doubt in my mind that Zarc views him as the biggest threat to him in this whole war."

"Makes sense," Leafa replied. "I wouldn't want to go against Marth with a half-baked plan." She closed her eyes as she felt the high tension in the air. "This silence is just making things worse. It makes me feel like one small thing could destroy everything we've been doing so far."

"I know," Asuna said.

Suddenly a red flare shot into the air, catching everyone's attention. Soon they saw other flares follow suit. They all knew what it meant. The monsters had returned.

"So he finally decided to attack again," Marth said with interest.

"Looks that way," Kirito added. "We should head for the New National Stadium immediately. I'm sure the others are going there right now."

Marth and the girls agreed before they all summoned their wings and flew towards the stadium. As they flew past various buildings, they immediately encountered a group of gargoyles wielding scythes.

"They've gotten this far in already?!" Thorrnn exclaimed in shock as she drew her rapier.

Marth drew his swords from their scabbards. "Our barricades were designed to deal with _land_ enemies," he corrected. "They can't do anything against flying enemies."

"Regardless of that," Kirito added. "We need to take these things out before they do any harm. Let's go, guys!"

"Yeah!" the others agreed.

Marth, Leafa, and Thorrnn flew at the monsters while Kirito and Asuna prepared to cast spells.

"Remember Kirito," Asuna advised. "Keep calm and don't try to rush it. A lot of novices get hurt whenever they panic while their chanting their spells."

Kirito nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah. I'll keep that in mind." He then began chanting a Darkness spell while Asuna was chanting a Water spell.

Meanwhile Marth was dealing with three gargoyles at once while Leafa and Thorrnn were each fighting one. One gargoyle tried to slice at the Spriggan's head with its scythe, but he easily ducked out of the way before cutting off its arms with Lunara. The gargoyle screeched in pain as black blood poured from its stumps. It didn't last much longer as Marth finished it off by slashing at its waist, causing the monster to dissolve into shadows.

"Too easy," Marth commented before he noticed the other two gargoyles charging at him from different directions.

"Oh no, what will I do now?" the Dark Swordsman asked mockingly. As soon as the monsters were close enough, Marth immediately ascended to avoid collision, causing the two gargoyles to crash into each other. "Idiots."

Marth started getting more serious when he saw the gargoyles become enraged and charged at him again. He easily parried all their attacks with his swords before killing them both with «Spinning Totality», which had him swing his dual swords around as he spun in a complete circle. Marth then saw Thorrnn finishing off her opponent with «Linear» while Leafa did the same by using a katana-skill.

Suddenly two more gargoyles appeared and tried to ambush the Aegis when they were suddenly killed by icicles and shadow projectiles. Marth turned around saw runes dissipating from around Asuna and Kirito before he gave them a thumbs-up with his right hand.

With the monsters dealt with, the group continued their way towards New National Stadium. As soon as they landed, they immediately joined their guildmates before meeting up with Chrysheight, Eugene and Yamikaze.

"What's the situation?" Marth asked intently.

"Well there are more monsters than before," the male Undine replied. "Our forces are engaging the enemy by the barricades, but some are managing to slip through."

"That's not the worst of it," Eugene added grimly. "We're getting reports that bosses are appearing around the city."

The others were shocked. "What?" Klein exclaimed. "From which games?"

"From what the reports say, the bosses are from both ALO and GGO," Yamikaze explained. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were some from SAO too."

"So that's what Zarc was waiting for," Marth said. "Regular monsters are one thing, but bosses are another. If they're as strong as they are in the virtual world, then this battle will be much harder than the first one."

Suddenly Eugene's phone went off, prompting him to check it. "I'm needed on the northern barricades," the Salamander general said. "There's a flame giant and it's wearing down the barrier."

Yamikaze's phone then went off as well. "I have to go too," the GGO player said as he checked his phone. "A GGO boss is attacking the southern barricades and our forces there are asking for reinforcements."

"All right," Marth replied. "Be careful out there."

"Will do," Eugene said as he summoned his wings before flying up north while Yamikaze hopped onto a motorcycle and drove south.

"What about you, Chrysheight?" Kirito asked. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll stay here to coordinate our forces," the government agent said. "Alicia and Sakuya have the eastern side of the city covered. You guys should go enforce the western barricade. Apparently, a powerful boss is there and its nearly broken through."

"Okay," the Black Swordsman replied. "If anything changes, message us."

"Will do. Good luck, Alfheim Warriors."

The guild then summoned their wings and flew to the west side of the city.

"Hey, Marth, do you think Siren could help out?" Yuuki spoke up.

Marth eyed his girlfriend curiously. "What brought this up?"

The Absolute Sword looked nervous, which wasn't like her. "You said it yourself," the Imp said. "This fight will be harder than before. Your Artifice was a big help in Alrest, and it might be able to handle the boss monsters too."

The Aegis was silent for a moment before saying, "You make a good point, Yuuki. Siren would definitely be helpful right now. But the problem is that it's too risky to use. If I'm not careful, I could cause more damage with my Artifice than Zarc's army could. Because of that, I'd rather only use Siren when I've got no other choice."

"I guess that makes sense," Yuuki said. "Siren did cause some destruction in Mor Ardain while it was fighting Malos's forces."

The group soon arrived at the western barricade where they saw their forces engaging an all too familiar skeletal boss, which had already broken the barricade, causing monsters to pour into the city.

"It's the Skull Reaper!" Klein shouted in disbelief.

"Damn it!" Agil exclaimed. "We're too late! What do we do now?!"

The Skull Reaper was charging at a GGO player at high speed. It was about to cut them in half with its right scythe when Marth suddenly got between them and blocked it with his silver defense barrier. The boss screeched in outrage and tried to attack the player again with its other scythe, but Kirito switched to his wolf form and took the hit instead. The attack barely left a noticeable mark on the white wolf, prompting the Skull Reaper to abandon its target and search for another victim.

"Thanks for the save," the GGO player said in relief.

"You're welcome," Marth replied simply. "Stop those monsters from entering the city. We'll handle the Skull Reaper."

"Okay. Good luck."

The player, along with several others, then hurried pass the ruined barricade to stop the monsters while Kirito and Marth saw their friends engage the Floor 75 Boss. The Skull Reaper proved to be just as powerful as before, if not more so, as it easily knocked Leafa, Silica, and Thorrnn out of the sky by swatting them with its tail. Lisbeth and Celina were also having trouble blocking its scythes with their shields due to the sheer power behind their swings.

Klein and Agil tried to flank the boss, but it easily evaded them before striking them with its rib-like sides, injuring the two. Luckily Asuna was able to heal them with her magic so they could rejoin the fight. Sinon and Yuuki were the only ones having any luck against the monster, mostly because the Cait Sith archer kept her distance from it while firing her arrows while Yuuki used her high agility to evade its attacks.

"This isn't good," Kirito said, still in wolf form. "Looks like Zarc gave the Skull Reaper an upgrade. If it gets past us, tons of people will die."

"Yeah," Marth agreed. "How about we take this thing down wolf-style?"

Kirito cracked a wolfish grin. "It's like you read my mind."

A dark aura surrounded Marth before he switched to his wolf form. As soon as the transformation finished, both wolves uttered an earth-shattering howl as they were surrounded by a silver aura, increasing their powers. The Skull Reaper, which was engaging Yuuki and Klein, suddenly redirected its focus on the Darkness Duo and readied its scythes to strike.

Right before its scythes hit Marth, Kirito immediately got in the way and blocked both attacks without even flinching.

"Man, I'm glad my Wolf Heart raises my physical defense," Kirito commented in slight pain as the boss was trying, and failing, to overpower him. "Otherwise this would hurt like hell!"

Marth then moved like a black blur and headbutted Skull Reaper in the chest, pushing it back a few meters. The boss screeched in rage before it charged at the wolves again.

"Me and Kirito will deal with the scythes!" Marth exclaimed as he and Kirito dodged the Skull Reaper's attacks.

"You guys focus on flanking it!" Kirito added.

"You got it!" Yuuki shouted as she and the other Alfheim Warriors, except Sinon, charged at the Skull Reaper from the sides, or in Leafa and Thorrnn's case, from the air.

"Howling Thunder!" Marth shouted as he unleashed a purple lightning breath, which the boss blocked with its scythes. Unfortunately for it, it was unable to move due to the intensity of the black wolf's attack.

"Keep it still, Marth!" Agil shouted as he, Silica and Klein ran at the monster's left side.

The Skull Reaper noticed the trio and tried to stop them with its tail, but Kirito easily tanked the attack.

"Thanks, dude," Klein said.

"You're welcome," the white wolf replied before returning to Marth's side.

The black wolf then ended his breath attack, revealing that the boss's scythes were charred from the blast. The Skull Reaper screeched in rage before it was suddenly hit in the back by a fire cyclone, pinning it to the ground.

"My brother's not the only one you should be worried about!" Thorrnn declared as she continued channeling her fire spell.

Sinon fired a barrage of lightning arrows, damaging the Skull Reaper's head while Asuna unleashed several large icicles at the boss, impaling its legs and tail. Marth then unleashed Howling Thunder again while Kirito unleashed Howling Shadows, which was the same as the former only it was a darkness attack rather than lightning, from the monster's sides.

"They've got it trapped!" Yuuki shouted. "Everyone, attack!"

The remaining Alfheim Warriors charged at the boss as they activated various Sword Skills. Klein struck the Skull Reaper's underside with his katana while Agil ran his axe through its back. Lisbeth and Celina used their shields to block the Skull Reaper's scythes, allowing Yuuki, Leafa and Silica to slip through.

Leafa then activated a wind-based Sword Skill and sliced the boss's chest with her katana several times, injuring it. Silica used a water-based Sword Skill and stabbed the boss's neck with her dagger before jumping back.

"Time to end this!" Yuuki said as she activated «Mother's Rosario».

The Absolute Sword stabbed the Skull Reaper's chest with her sword five times from top-right to bottom-left. She then drew her sword back before doing the inverse. She then concluded her OSS by stabbing into the intersection of the cross-shape made from the former ten strikes.

The Skull Reaper let out a defiant screech before it collapsed on the ground, its red eyes going dark. The others concluded their spells before watching the monster disappear into shadows. Any regular monsters who were still around fled the scene after seeing their strongest member fall before the Alfheim Warriors.

Once all the other monsters were gone, the guild practically collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, except Sinon who simply sat down. Marth and Kirito reverted back to their ALO forms as well.

"That… was… fun," Klein said tiredly.

"I'm just glad its over," Silica said. "I don't think I can fight anymore."

"I never thought I'd fight something from SAO," Leafa added. "That fight was intense."

"You could say that again," Thorrnn said.

Marth sat up when he saw other players approach them.

"Thank you for the help," an ALO player said. "We'll take care of things from here. You guys should get some rest while you can."

"Okay," Marth replied. "Be careful."

The other players then left to secure the area.

"So what should we do now?" Sinon questioned. "Do we stay here to guard the western barricade or go support another defense?"

Suddenly Marth's phone began ringing. He pulled it out from his coat and saw that it was Chrysheight. He immediately answered it and said, "Hey Chrysheight. The west side's all clear. We're…"

"Marth, hurry to the New National Stadium now!" Chrysheight said in a hurry. "Zarc's here and he's tearing through our defenses! We need help! Hurry!"

"What?" The line went dead.

"What's wrong?" Kirito asked nervously.

Marth's eyes filled with dread as he rose to his feet. "We need to get back to the New National Stadium," he said quickly. "Zarc's there and he's overwhelming everyone there."

"But we just finished one hard battle already," Klein complained.

"I don't think Zarc would care about that," Agil mused. "We're the only ones who can go. Everyone else has to protect the barricades."

"We'll be alright," Yuuki added with her usual smile. "We've got the Silver Aegis on our side!"

Marth couldn't help but chuckle at his girlfriend's cheerfulness. "I know you all are tired after that battle with the Skull Reaper, but we're needed somewhere else," he briefed. "If we fail here, then this war is lost. Let's show Zarc what humans are capable of."

"Yeah!" the others shouted.

The guild then summoned their wings and hurried towards the New National Stadium. They did encounter flying monsters along the way, but easily dispatched them. The Alfheim Warriors soon saw the stadium in the distance and saw a small battalion of monsters at the entrance with Zarc in the lead. Chrysheight and several ALO mages were maintaining a barrier around the stadium but the Demon King was constantly striking it with his magic, causing the barrier to slowly deteriorate.

"Not good," Kirito said in frustration.

Marth gritted his teeth in anger as his core began glowing silver. Suddenly storm clouds began to gather above the stadium, catching everyone's notice, including Zarc.

"Uh, Brother," Thorrnn said slowly as she noticed purple lightning sparking off the Dark Swordsman's body.

Marth then swung his right hand down, causing bolts of purple lightning to rain down from the sky and electrocute Zarc's forces. Zarc himself shielded himself with a barrier and simply sneered despite losing his entire battalion.

"Whoa," Yuuki said in awe.

"So you finally decided to show up, Dark Swordsman," the Demon King said arrogantly as Marth and his friends landed in front of him. "I was beginning to wonder if I had to hunt you down or not."

"Out of all the places you could've attacked, why would you choose this stadium?" Marth questioned. "You could've attacked the shelters or attacked from behind the barricades, but you didn't. Why's this place so special?"

"Since you came all this way to see me, I'll tell you," Zarc replied with his arrogant sneer. "You see, I'm trying to pull off a powerful summoning in order to win me this war but sadly I don't have enough power to pull it off. This is where you unleashed a full-power Fenrir Effect in order to empower your army. I plan on harvesting that energy for my own means."

Marth raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "How do you plan on doing that? Fenrir Effect isn't permanent, it wears off over time. Any residual energy that's still here would be too weak to use."

Zarc looked unfazed by the statement. "You underestimate yourself, Marth. Even a small trace of the Fenrir Effect would suffice, but I will harvest it all! While I can't harvest your power or the Fenrir Effect directly, the same can't be applied to a degraded Fenrir Effect."

The Silver Aegis gritted his teeth in anger. "You bastard," he said in rage as he drew his swords. "Chrysheight. Get the others to safety. We'll take care of Zarc!"

The male Undine didn't look thrilled at the idea but slowly nodded. "Okay. But be careful. He's no pushover!"

"Neither are we," Kirito replied as he and the others drew their weapons.

The barrier around the New National Stadium then disappeared as Chrysheight and his group retreated. Zarc then drew his sword and laughed cynically.

"Well then, Dark Swordsman," Zarc said slowly. "Let's see how much you improved since Temporal Island."

Marth and Zarc charged at each other with their swords raised. Sparks flew into the air as their blades clashed.

**To be continued**

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**Original Author's Note: Yep, I ended it with a cliffhanger. So now we know Zarc is planning something big to win the Demon War and wants to use Marth's residual energy to do it. What that thing is though, well, you'll have to wait and see. Anyway, see you guys in the next chapter.**


	32. Opposing Blades

Zarc performed a downward slash, aiming for Marth's head before the dual-wielder blocked it with a cross-block. Zarc sneered as he pushed down on the swordsman, who was trying to hold his ground against him.

"That the best you can do?" the Demon King mocked.

"Not even close!" Marth pushed Zarc's sword away and slashed his chest with Lunara, cutting through a gap in his armor and drawing black blood while also forcing the demon back.

Zarc placed his left hand on his wound before he healed it with dark magic.

"That was better," the demon admitted. "But it won't be enough to stop me!"

Suddenly Yuuki and Asuna charged at Zarc from both sides. Yuuki lunged at the Demon King's head with «Vorpal Strike» but he simply moved to the side and avoided it before blocking Asuna's «Linear» with his sword. Zarc then slammed his sword against the ground which sent a powerful shockwave at the group but Marth and Thorrnn blocked it with «Stormveil» and «Fire Wall» respectively.

Klein and Agil activated Sword Skills and charged at the demon. The Salamander slashed at Zarc's waist, damaging with fire before jumping back. Agil's attack however, was blocked by a dark barrier. Zarc then fired a barrage of dark projectiles at the Gnome but Lisbeth blocked them with her shield, however the impact from the attacks knocked her and Agil to the ground.

Leafa and Thorrnn fired a barrage of wind and fire spells respectively but the Demon King protected himself with a dark barrier. Marth then jumped high into the air unleashed a «Raging Bolt», summoning a large purple lightning bolt from the sky down on the demon. Zarc promptly unleashed a dark beam from a magic circle to intercept the Aegis's attack. The two spells tried to overpower each other before canceling each other out, creating a powerful shockwave that knocked everyone back.

"Nice, Marth," Zarc commented. "I didn't expect your magic to rival my own like that." He then noticed the silver Aegis core on the Dark Swordsman's chest. "Is it all because of that Core Crystal on your chest?"

"Maybe it is," Marth said smugly. "Or maybe you're not as powerful as you think."

The Demon King chuckled in amusement. "You sound like Mythra and Malos," he boasted. "I should've known you were an Aegis back when we fought on Temporal Island. Especially because of how similar your life force was to them. This makes things more interesting."

"Glad to hear it," Marth replied sarcastically.

The Dark Swordsman and the Demon King charged at each other and locked swords. They both then unleashed a flurry of attacks on each other, with neither one giving in. Marth incased Lunara in purple lightning and thrusted it towards Zarc's waist, but Zarc simply parried the attack with his sword. Marth then activated «Sonic Leap» with Solaris and slashed at Zarc's chest, making a deep gash that drew blood while also pushing the demon back.

Zarc was about to close his wound when suddenly Silica stabbed his leg with her dagger. While the wound she made wasn't deep, it was enough to interrupt him, causing Zarc's chest wound to only partially heal. The Demon King grunted in anger before slashing at Silica's waist, prompting her to intercept with her dagger. This proved to be a mistake because the Cait Sith then found herself pinned down as she tried to push the demon's sword away, which was slowly getting closer to her.

"Get away from her!" Kirito shouted as he activated «Vorpal Strike» with his black sword and stabbed Zarc in the chest, knocking the demon away from Silica.

Zarc simply sneered. He then slashed at the Spriggan's waist, but Kirito blocked it with his swords.

"Kirito, the Black Swordsman," the demon said arrogantly as he drew his sword back. "One of the heroes of Aincrad." He then unleashed a flurry of slashes, but Kirito somehow managed to block/evade all of them. "Looks like the stories about you are true after all."

"You're too kind," Kirito said sarcastically as he blocked an overhead strike with his swords, causing sparks to shoot into the air.

"Interesting," Zarc noted. "You and your friends have shown to be able to access your avatars from the other VRMMOs. Yet I've never seen you or Marth switch to your SAO avatars during this whole war. Care to share why?"

Kirito's eyes flared with anger. "I don't need to answer that and neither does Marth!" The dual-wielder then pushed his opponent back.

"Aw, have I touched a nerve?" Zarc mocked as he rested his sword on his shoulders. "You and Marth don't understand the consequences of your actions, like all humans don't."

"And _you're_ an expert on humans?" Kirito questioned in suspicion.

"You could say that," Zarc remarked. "I learned a lot from fighting them in the Era of Darkness."

Kirito then sheathed his swords and said, "Then learn this."

"Huh?" Zarc said in confusion.

"Now, Marth!" Kirito shouted.

"Head's up!" the Dark Swordsman exclaimed before throwing his dual swords at his partner, who caught them effortlessly. As soon as Kirito touched the swords, Lunara and Solaris began radiating shadows and light respectively.

The Black Swordsman then let out a battle cry as he charged at Zarc again. Kirito slashed at the demon's chest with his dual swords, which Zarc was barely able to block with his sword. Zarc even let out a strained grunt as he felt the intensity of the blow. The Demon King managed to push Kirito back before slashing at his head but the Spriggan simply blocked it with Solaris before stabbing Zarc's leg with Lunara. Zarc howled in pain as black blood poured from the wound as the black blade was pulled out.

"Why you," Zarc said in rage before he had to defend himself from flurry of slashes from Kirito, getting slightly injured in the process.

Kirito then unexpectedly jumped back before tossing Lunara and Solaris high into the air. Marth then jumped up and caught his swords midair. "Here goes!" the Silver Aegis exclaimed before descending towards Zarc and clashed blades with him.

Marth then disappeared in a silver flash of light before reappearing on Zarc's left side and locked swords again while also pushing the demon back. The Dark Swordsman disappeared into another silver flash to evade Zarc's attack before reappearing one foot away from Zarc before striking him in the stomach with «Vorpal Strike» with Lunara.

The Demon King grunted in pain as he clutched his wound while Marth jumped back to his partner. "Nice trick," Zarc admitted as he healed some of his injuries. "Did Mythra teach you that?"

Marth simply smirked. "You could say that," he replied confidently as he and his friends surrounded the Demon King. "Humans may not have any special powers on their own, but they'll always fight to protect the things they love."

"And that's something you'll never understand, Zarc!" Kirito added while redrawing his swords before he and the guild charged at the demon.

A dark aura flared around Zarc, reinvigorating him. "Like I would need something as pathetic as that!" the Demon King declared.

He then proceeded to clash with all Alfheim Warriors at once, except Sinon as she fired her arrows into the weak points in his armor in an attempt to slow him down. Zarc managed to block Klein and Agil's attacks, before he stopped Asuna's «Linear» with a dark barrier. He then parried Lisbeth and Celina's attacks as he evaded spells fired from both Leafa and Thorrnn.

Marth and Kirito then charged at the Demon King together. Zarc swung his sword down on Kirito's head, but Marth blocked it with his swords, allowing Kirito to strike the demon and injure him further. Yuuki then joined in as she clashed blades with Zarc, causing sparks to fly. Zarc locked eyes with the Imp and sneered. He then knocked the Absolute Sword back before slamming his fist into the ground, unleashing a dark explosion that knocked everyone off their feet.

Zarc then snapped his fingers, prompting two Gleam Eyes bosses to appear behind him.

"How did you?" Marth said in confusion as he and his friends got back up.

"Did you really think that I would summon only _one_ of every boss monster from the virtual world?" Zarc boasted as his injuries began healing. "Once I bind one of them to my will, I can duplicate them as much as I want. That's the reason why I'm too low on power to perform the ritual I need to summon my ultimate weapon."

Suddenly two Skull Reapers appeared behind the Alfheim Warriors, along with a Fatal Scythe and a two-headed giant, surrounding them.

"Are you kidding me?!" Yuuki shouted in outrage. "This is so unfair!"

"I know! That's the beauty of it!" Zarc exclaimed. "This is war so one must be willing to do whatever it takes to achieve victory. I _will_ avenge my master and kill all of you! This is inevitable!"

Marth gritted his teeth in anger. "Zarc!"

The Demon King simply sneered. "You could even the odds, Marth. I'm sure you've got an Artifice of your own, just like Mythra has. All you have to do is call to it. Who knows, maybe it can defeat all my minions here at once?"

The Dark Swordsman said nothing as he gripped his swords tightly.

Suddenly a black wyvern appeared and flew towards its master. Zarc immediately grabbed onto its front right leg and allowed it to carry him up.

"You guys can have fun with my minions!" he called out. "I'm going to get what I came for!"

The Alfheim Warriors could only watch as Zarc rode his wyvern up to the roof of the New National Stadium. The boss monsters then began to circle around the Alfheim Warriors, prompting them to circle up.

"What do we do now?" Leafa questioned nervously.

"We have to take out these monsters to get to Zarc," Kirito said. "If we don't stop him, he'll harvest the Fenrir Effect's power for his ritual."

"Okay, but how do we do that?" Sinon asked. "We could barely handle _one_ Skull Reaper. Now we have to deal with two of them plus four more bosses."

Asuna and Marth then locked eyes. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" the Undine asked.

Marth nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. Listen up, everyone. If you all can buy me and Asuna a few minutes, we can take them all out with Stormsurge."

"Are you sure about that?" Lisbeth said. "If you and Asuna use that spell, it'll leave you too exhausted to fight."

"We know," Asuna replied. "Which means that once we clear the way, you guys will need to pursue Zarc without us."

The bosses all let out a screech and prepared to attack.

"We don't have time to discuss this!" Kirito said as he readied his swords. "Marth, Asuna, start chanting the Stormsurge spell. We'll buy you the time you need."

Marth and Asuna sheathed their weapons before standing back-to-back and began chanting the Lightning Unison Spell while closing their eyes. The bosses then charged at the fairies, prompting Kirito and the others to move to intercept.

Kirito switched to his wolf form and engaged the Fatal Scythe. Klein and Agil began battle with the first Gleam Eyes while Leafa and Thorrnn fought the second one. Silica and Sinon began fighting the two-headed giant while Yuuki, Celina and Lisbeth engaged the Skull Reapers.

The Fatal Scythe found it difficult to land a blow on the white wolf because of his high agility and even if it did hit, it hardly did any damage. The white wolf then unleashed a Howling Shadows, pushing the cloaked boss back and injuring it a little but it still kept attacking.

Agil was doing his best to keep the first Gleam Eyes's attention on him while Klein attacked it from the sides with his katana. The fatigue from the previous battles was starting to show on Gnome's face as sweat beaded down as he parried the boss's sword with his axe.

"Are you okay, Agil?" Klein asked in concern, who was also looking tired and sweaty.

"I'm fine," the Gnome passed off. "Just keep fighting."

Thorrnn and Leafa were having a little better luck with dealing with their Gleam Eyes. Thorrnn managed to trap it within a «Fire Wall», allowing Leafa to pelt it with wind spells as she and her partner flew overhead. The second Gleam Eyes roared in outrage and tried to fire purple breath attacks at them, but the Sylphs managed to evade them.

Thorrnn then noticed that she was panting really hard and found it difficult to maintain her spell. "Not good," the emerald-haired Sylph said. "Leafa, I'm running low on mana. I can't keep the Fire Wall going for much longer."

"I'm running low too," the blonde Sylph admitted. "We must have used too much magic during our battle with Zarc. Just try to hang in there."

"Okay."

Surprisingly Sinon was the one protecting Silica from the two-headed giant. While the younger Cait Sith was physically tired from all the constant battles, the elder Cait Sith was having much better luck fighting off the boss.

"Keep back, Silica," Sinon said. "I'll handle this."

"Sorry," Silica said slowly before noticing a small gemstone that was between the giant's necks. "Sinon look!"

The blue-haired archer noticed the gemstone and said, "Weird place to have jewelry. I wonder…" Sinon knocked a fire arrow on her bow and fired it right at the gemstone, hitting its mark.

Suddenly the giant roared in pain before shielding the stone with its arms.

"I knew it," Sinon said with a confident smirk. "So that stone's its weak spot." She then switched to her GGO avatar and aimed her Hecate at the giant's gemstone when it lowered its first pair of arms, but its second pair kept it covered.

"Silica, do you have enough strength to fly?" the sniper asked.

"Uh, yeah," the Cait Sith replied. "I should be able to fly no problem."

"Then keep it off me for a few seconds. You don't have to injure it, just distract it long enough for me to get a shot on it."

Silica nodded as she summoned her wings and flew towards the two-headed giant. The giant swung its axes at the Cait Sith, but she simply evaded them. Meanwhile Sinon noticed storm clouds beginning to gather above them as thunder boomed in the air.

_"We need more time,"_ the blue-haired sniper thought as she tightened her grip on her rifle. _"Please Hecate. Don't let me down now."_

Suddenly a blue aura surrounded Sinon as she poured all of her strength into her rifle. When the giant exposed its gemstone again, Sinon pulled Hecate's trigger, causing its bullet to soar right towards the stone. The bullet pierced through stone, shattering it. The giant roared in pain as it split in half before dissolving into shadows.

Sinon let out a deep breath as the aura around her faded before she fell to her knees while dropping Hecate.

"Sinon!" Silica exclaimed in worry.

"I'm… fine," Sinon said in exhaustion. "I just… overexerted myself."

Meanwhile Yuuki, Lisbeth and Celina were struggling against the Skull Reapers. Both Leprechauns could barely take one hit from the bosses without being thrown back. While Yuuki was fast enough to evade the bosses' scythes, she knew it wouldn't last forever as she felt her fatigue beginning to catch up on her.

"Can't Marth and Asuna hurry up already?" Lisbeth questioned as a bead of sweat ran down her face. "We can't take much more of this."

Celina turned towards the duo and saw an electric aura around them both. "We have to," the brown-haired Leprechaun said. "If these things get passed us, Marth and Asuna will be in danger. They can't defend themselves when they use Stormsurge."

Yuuki then formed a forced smile. "We'll be just fine," the Absolute Sword said. "We've always fought with our all and we've always pulled through because of it. I know we'll win this."

Lisbeth simply sighed. "Okay. I can't exactly argue with that," she admitted.

The Skull Reapers charged at the trio, prompting the Leprechauns to block their attacks with their shields. Suddenly Yuuki noticed the storm clouds were intensifying while the thundering became louder and louder.

"It's time," she said.

"Stormsurge!" Marth and Asuna shouted in sync as they opened their eyes.

Suddenly several large bolts of purple lightning came down from the sky and struck the remaining bosses. They were all consumed by explosions of electricity, leaving no trace of them behind.

"Wow," Klein said in awe.

Even Zarc found himself to be impressed as he stood on the stadium's roof. "So he and Asuna are capable of using _that_ spell," he mused as he pulled out a clear crystal orb. "This just got more interesting."

Marth and Asuna then found themselves overwhelmed with exhaustion and fell to their knees. They were both struggling to stay conscious as they tried to breathe normally.

"Marth! Asuna!" Kirito shouted in concern as he returned to his Spriggan form.

"We're fine!" Asuna called out. "Just go after Zarc!"

The Black Swordsman hesitantly nodded and summoned his wings. "Let's go, guys!" he declared. "Time to end this!"

The other Alfheim Warriors then summoned their wings as well, except Sinon who was too exhausted to switch avatars. Suddenly small sparks of silver light began appearing from the ground and were making their way to the stadium.

"You guys go ahead," the sniper said slowly, tiredness etched in her voice. "We're running out of time."

"Okay," Yuuki replied. "We'll be back after we kick Zarc's ass."

Marth, Asuna and Sinon then watched as their friends went after the Demon King. Somehow Sinon managed to make her way over to the duo despite how tired she was.

"Are you okay, Marth?" the sniper questioned as she noticed him breathing hard, almost like he was in pain.

"Y-yeah," the Silver Aegis replied as he held his forehead with his right hand. His head felt like it was splitting open. "I just have a headache."

Both Asuna and Sinon looked worried for their friend but didn't say anything. Meanwhile Kirito and the others were closing in on Zarc, who was holding up his crystal orb which was absorbing silver light from the area.

"Zarc!" Kirito shouted.

The Demon King simply sneered as his orb absorbed the last of the degraded Fenrir Effect, causing the orb to begin glowing silver.

"You're too late!" Zarc declared. "The power of Marth's Fenrir Effect is now mine! And now, watch as I summon forth your destruction!"

Zarc held the orb out, causing it to shoot a silver beam in the sky that could be seen from all across the city.

"What is that?" Eugene asked in disbelief.

"I don't know but I don't think it's good," Recon replied.

Marth and the others watched in shock as the silver beam pierced through the clouds, creating a dark portal. They then saw as a flying castle exited the portal. It was made of a black material and was highly weaponized.

"Behold, my Shadow Fortress!" Zarc shouted in glee. "With this at my side, your whole city will be turned into dust!" He then laughed as he saw the shocked looks on Kirito and the others' faces. "You all should really see yourselves right now! This will be last day of the Demon War!"

Zarc looked down at Marth, who was struggling to hold himself up. Under other circumstances, Zarc would've laughed at seeing the Dark Swordsman in that state, but for some reason he found it unsatisfying, which really irked him.

"Change of plans," Zarc said suddenly. "I'll wait for you all in my Shadow Fortress."

"What?" Lisbeth exclaimed in confusion. "Didn't you say that fortress would win you the war?! So why aren't you using it?!"

"Beating you while you're all weakened right now just doesn't satisfy me," the demon explained. "So I'll give you all three days to recover and stop me. But once those three days are up, however, Hell will rain down from the sky!"

"Z-Zarc," Marth said slowly as he, Asuna and Sinon stood up. Marth was clutching his crystal tightly, almost like it was causing him pain as well.

The Demon King then jumped on his black wyvern and said, "See you later, Marth! Make sure to bring your a-game because I won't be holding back!" Zarc then laughed as he rode his wyvern towards his Shadow Fortress.

"This isn't good," Asuna said. "What do we do now?"

The Dark Swordsman didn't answer as he suddenly blacked out.

"Marth!" Asuna exclaimed in worry as she caught him before he hit the street.

"He's not moving!" Sinon said quickly. "What's happening to him?"

"I don't know," Asuna replied as she held the Spriggan tightly. "Wake up, Marth! Marth!"

**To be continued**

* * *

**Original Author's Note: Okay, I'm evil, ending it with yet another cliffhanger but I couldn't resist. If you couldn't tell, I got inspiration for the fight with Zarc from Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna the Golden Country, specifically when the party fights Malos for the first time. It just felt right for this. So Zarc finally managed to summon his ultimate weapon, the Shadow Fortress and Marth just blacked out for some reason. Will he be able to recover fast enough to stop Zarc before his three day time limit is up? You'll have to wait to find out. See you guys in the next chapter!**


	33. Recovery

Kirito and the others were in their dorm, trying to recuperate after all the constant battles. Marth was in the boy's room, asleep in one of the beds with his swords leaning on the wall next to him. He hadn't stirred at all since he collapsed outside the New National Stadium twelve hours ago. The whole guild was worried, especially Kirito, Yuuki, Thorrnn and Asuna. Kirito, Agil and Sinon were standing while everyone else was sitting on the couches.

It was quiet until a certain samurai broke it.

"I don't get it," Klein spoke up. "I know that Stormsurge exhausts its users, but it never leaves them comatose. So how did this happen?"

"It's from any severe injuries," Thorrnn said. "Marth's capable of regenerating from any wound now that his core's back."

Kirito, who was leaning against the wall, then noticed how quiet Yuuki was being. "Are you okay, Yuuki?" the Spriggan asked.

The Absolute Sword didn't answer.

Asuna, who was sitting next to the Imp, gave her a slight nudge on the shoulder. "Yuuki, are you okay?"

Yuuki finally snapped out of her trance and said, "What? Oh, sorry. I zoned out for a few seconds."

"You're really worried about Marth, aren't you, Yuuki?" Asuna guessed.

The Imp lowered her head. "Yeah, I am," she said slowly as she squeezed her knees with her hands. "Something's wrong with him and I don't know what to do. I feel so powerless."

"Since we can still use our powers, Marth must still be renewing the Fenrir Effect somehow," Sinon said. "But if he doesn't wake up soon, we may have to fight Zarc without him."

"He will wake up!" Thorrnn suddenly exclaimed, catching everyone by surprise. "My brother would never let us down! He promised not to leave me again!"

"Thorrnn," Leafa said in sympathy as she wrapped her arm around her fellow Sylph, who promptly burst into tears out of pure worry.

Suddenly a knock could be heard from the dorm door. Celina stood up and opened the door, revealing Chrysheight, Eugene and Sakuya.

"Sorry for dropping by on such short notice," the male Undine said sincerely. "May we come in?"

Celina moved to the side to allow the three adults in. When they did, she closed the door.

"Has there been any change with Marth?" Sakuya asked sincerely.

Asuna lowered her head in shame. "No. He hasn't even stirred yet."

"This is troubling," Eugene said as he folded his arms. "Zarc's has us practically at his mercy with that fortress of his. He could wipe us all out whenever he wants. Marth's probably the only one who could stop him."

Chrysheight adjusted his glasses. "Since the monsters retreated after the Shadow Fortress appeared, we've been given the chance to recover," the Undine explained. "But tension is very high. Our scouts have found out that Zarc's army are gathering in strategic locations outside of Tokyo, trapping us in the city. That last attack nearly destroyed all of our defenses, especially in the west. We're in a losing situation here."

"Honestly, it's a miracle that Zarc didn't just finish us all off when he summoned that flying fortress of his," Sakuya said. "Why is he giving us the time to recover and possibly launch a counterattack?"

"I think I know why," Kirito spoke up, causing all eyes to turn to him. "It's because of Marth."

"Huh? But Marth's unconscious," Silica said in confusion. "What does he have to do with Zarc's decision?"

"Before yesterday, we fought Zarc two times," Kirito explained. "In both instances, Marth was the one who landed the final blow on him. Not only that, Marth also killed his master. Zarc wants to defeat him to settle the score."

"But then why didn't he finish off Marth yesterday?" Eugene questioned. "You guys said that Marth and Asuna used the Lightning Unison Spell to kill Zarc's minions at the stadium. Unison Spells leave the casters vulnerable after their use, so that would have been Zarc's best chance to kill Marth."

"Because it would've been too easy," Kirito answered. "Right before we went to fight Zarc, we had just finished a difficult battle with a Skull Reaper. When we fought Zarc, we hadn't fully recovered from that battle, including Marth. And then there was the Stormsurge spell. Zarc wants to defeat Marth, but he wants to do it when he's at his full power. That's the only way he'll be satisfied."

"That makes sense," Yuuki replied. "I just hope Marth wakes up soon. We need him now more than ever."

"I know, Yuuki," Kirito said. "I know."

**Marth's dream**

Marth was in some dark cavern. He looked completely confused.

"Where am I?" he asked. "How did I get here?"

Marth then saw a figure dressed in silver in the distance, walking down a tunnel.

"Hey, wait!" Marth called out as he ran towards the person.

However, when he went through the tunnel, he found himself in an empty chamber.

"What? I could've sworn I saw someone come here."

"Live," a voice said in sorrow, one that sounded familiar but different. "That's all I ever wanted."

Marth looked around for the source of the voice but couldn't find anyone with him. "Who said that? Where are you?" he called out.

"My sister and brother, they got to live and have friends," the voice continued in its sad tone. "But why can't I? What makes me so different?"

The Spriggan then saw the same person dressed in silver standing in the back of the chamber. Even from a distance, he could tell that the person was a teenage boy.

"Who… who are you?" Marth questioned. He tried to approach the teen when suddenly the ground disappeared, causing Marth to fall into the abyss.

When he finally landed, Marth found himself on a snowy mountain. It was evening and surprisingly clear.

"Now where am I?"

"Don't you remember, Marth?" a familiar voice spoke up. "This is where we first met and fought."

Suddenly a familiar black dragon appeared before the dual-wielder.

"Critias!" Marth exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's been too long, Marth," the Twilight Dragon said with pride. "Hm, I see that you no longer possess Dragon Soul."

Marth lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Critias. I gave it up so I could gain the power to help my friends in Alrest."

"Do not blame yourself. It was a noble thing to do. I'm proud of your decision. Now then, I believe some catching up is in order. What has happened since our last meeting?"

Marth then explained the Demon War and Zarc's return.

"This is troubling," Critias said slowly as he let out some smoke from his nostrils. "I remember Zarc well from our battles in the Era of Darkness. If he has indeed regained his true power, then he will not be an easy opponent to overcome."

"What do I do?" Marth asked desperately. "Zarc has my home completely at his mercy and I don't know how to stop him. If you know anything, please tell me!"

"My boy, that is a difficult question to answer," Critias replied sincerely. He then eyed the two swords that were strapped to Marth's back. "Those swords. May I see them?"

Marth was confused at first but drew Lunara and Solaris from their scabbards. Critias's eyes then lit up with pride.

"So you did obtain them both," the dragon said. "Good. As you are probably aware, the Lunara and Solaris of your world was originally one sword named Lunaris, the Twilight Sword. That sword was forged from my sharpest fang. It was made with the intent to kill gods and was bound to Zane, the Twilight Hero."

Marth gasped in shock. "Wait. Lunara and Solaris were made from your fang?" he asked.

"Indeed. Zane was able to split the Lunaris into two swords to dual-wield, but he primarily fought one-handed," Critias confirmed. "You, on the other hand, are primarily a dual-wielder, which is why your Lunaris is two swords."

"Dual-wielding," Marth muttered under his breath as memories of Aincrad poured through his head. "Critias," he spoke up as he sheathed his swords. "Do you know how I can defeat Zarc? Anything would be useful right now."

The Twilight Dragon paused for a moment before answering, "Not even Zane could completely kill Zarc, only seal him away. However, an oracle foretold that the Demon King could only be felled by the Dark Swordsman when Zarc is at his full power."

"Dark Swordsman?" Marth questioned. "Wait, could it be me?"

"I believe so," Critias said. "Only the Dark Swordsman can kill Zarc. If anyone else tries to do so, he will simply return again and again."

Marth lowered his head in disgust. _"So even people from before my time knew about my Dark Swordsman persona,"_ he thought as he clenched his fists tightly. _"I hate it. The Dark Swordsman is just a story. Some tall tale about me being some hero when I'm not. Will I ever be rid of it?"_

Suddenly a strong wind picked up, stirring up the snow.

"Time grows short," Critias said. "You must wake up now. Remember, the Dark Swordsman is Zarc's bane. The only person he truly fears. However, do not think it is simple. The Dark Swordsman is more than just some title or persona."

Marth had to shield his eyes with his arms as the wind grew stronger and stronger. "What do you mean its more than just a title?" he questioned loudly. "That's exactly what it is! That's _all_ it is!"

"You will understand in due time," the dragon replied as the snow made it harder to see. "Farewell, Marth. Until we meet again."

"Wait, Critias!" Marth shouted desperately. "I need to know more! Please!"

**The real world**

"Critias," Marth said as he woke with a start. He looked around and saw that he was in the boy's bedroom. "How did I?" he asked before realizing. "Oh, the others must have brought me here after I blacked out." Marth held his forehead with his right palm. "What happened to me back there? It was almost like something inside me was trying to get out."

Marth then remembered what Critias told him. _"What did Critias mean that the Dark Swordsman is more than just a title?"_ he thought to himself. _"It doesn't make any sense."_

Suddenly he heard the bedroom door open and saw Asuna standing there.

"You're awake, Marth!" the Undine said in relief. She turned towards the living room. "Everyone, Marth's awake!"

Almost immediately afterward, Marth was tackled to his bed by purple and green blurs.

"Thank goodness you're okay, Marth!" Yuuki said as tears leaked from her eyes while she hugged her boyfriend. "I was so worried about you."

"Me too," Thorrnn added as her eyes were watering too. "Please don't scare me like that again."

Marth then wrapped his arms around the two girls. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely as he saw Kirito and the others enter the room.

"Finally had enough beauty sleep?" Klein teased. "You had us all worried sick."

"Klein," Marth said slowly before he faced Kirito, who was smiling.

"Glad to see you up, partner," the black-eyed Spriggan said casually. "How do you feel?"

"I feel alright," the Silver Aegis replied. "What happened after I passed out?"

"We'll explain later," Asuna said. "But first let's get you something to eat. You must be hungry."

As if on que, Marth's stomach began rumbling, much to everyone's amusement. It was hard to get Yuuki and Thorrnn off of Marth, but eventually Kirito and Leafa were able to convince them to get off the blue-eyed Spriggan. The group then went into the living room while Asuna went into kitchen to fix a quick meal for the Dark Swordsman. As he ate, Marth's friends filled him in on the situation.

"So Zarc has us trapped in Tokyo with his army and our defenses are nearly gone," Marth said slowly.

"We've got two days left before Zarc unleashes his Shadow Fortress on us," Kirito replied. "Chrysheight and the others are stumped on what to do."

"Where are they?" Marth asked. "We need to plan our next move quickly."

"Are you sure you should push yourself?" Yuuki asked in concern. "Maybe you should take it easy for a bit."

Marth gave his girlfriend a reassuring smile as Lunara and Solaris appeared in their scabbards on his back. "I'm fine," he said. "We can't waste any time, not when our home is in danger."

Yuuki sighed in defeat. "You're not gonna back down no matter what I say, aren't you?"

"Nope."

Kirito chuckled in amusement. "That's just like you, Marth," the Spriggan said. "Chrysheight and the others are meeting in the conference room upstairs. They'll want to know that you're awake."

"All right. Kirito, Asuna, and me will go to the conference room," Marth said. "The rest of you should wait here for us."

The others acknowledged before the Spriggans and the Undine left the dorm before heading upstairs to the conference room. Chrysheight, Eugene, Alicia, Sakuya and Yamikaze were all inside discussing their next move before noticing the new arrivals.

"Marth, you're awake!" Chrysheight said in disbelief.

The Silver Aegis scratched his head sheepishly. "Yeah. Sorry if I worried you guys. Anyway, mind if we join in?"

"Not at all," Sakuya said. "In fact, we were just discussing you and the rest of the Alfheim Warriors."

Marth, Kirito and Asuna took seats at the table the leaders filled them in on the situation.

"Thanks to the boss monsters, our defenses are nearly in tatters," Eugene explained. "We don't have enough time to rebuild them before Zarc unleashes his second attack. When that happens, we'll be overrun."

"Not to mention that his forces are blocking off any possible evacuation routes so we can't leave," Alicia added. "We're practically fish in a barrel."

"From what we heard from Kirito and the others, Zarc will be in his fortress waiting for you all," Yamikaze said. "We have considered launching a full assault on the Shadow Fortress, but only the ALO players can reach it since its airborne. Not to mention that it'll lower what little defenses we still have and will have us completely vulnerable to another attack."

Marth folded his arms. "That's not even taking into account whatever defenses the Shadow Fortress has," he voiced. "Yeah, a full assault is too risky."

"Which is why we believe a small attack squad would be much more effective," Sakuya said. "They would be much harder for the fortress to detect and can move about more quickly than an army would. We want that attack squad to be the Alfheim Warriors."

The teens gasped in surprise.

"You want us to attack the Shadow Fortress?" Asuna questioned in disbelief.

"Well Zarc did call you guys out," Chrysheight explained as he adjusted his glasses. "And while he would be expecting you, he can't predict _how_ you'll attack. This is the only way we can assault his fortress while maintaining what little defenses we have. There's no doubt that once your guild attacks the Shadow Fortress, Zarc's forces will move in on the city."

"He does make a good point," Kirito agreed. "We're the best ones who could assault the Shadow Fortress. If we can make our way to Zarc and take him out, then this whole war will be over. I say we give it a shot."

"I think so too," Asuna added, being the vice-commander of the Alfheim Warriors. "What about you, Marth?"

The blue-eyed Spriggan was silent before nodding. "Yeah. We'll do it."

"Thank you," Chrysheight said. "We're counting on you all."

**Later**

Marth, Kirito and Asuna were back in the dorm and explained what they learned from the conference to their friends.

"So we're going to assault the Shadow Fortress and take out Zarc?" Sinon questioned.

"That's right," Kirito confirmed. "We'll need to use what little time we have to prepare. I won't lie, this will probably be our hardest battle yet. But if we all pull together, I know we'll win this."

"Yeah!" Lisbeth cheered. "We'll kick Zarc back into the hole he crawled out of!"

"Agreed," Celina added.

Suddenly the Spriggans and Undine went silent for a moment as sorrow filled their eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Klein asked nervously.

"Liz, Celina," Asuna said slowly. "Me, Kirito and Marth talked a bit before we came back. We think… it might be better if you two stayed behind for this."

The Leprechauns were shocked by the news, as were everyone else.

"What? Why?!" the pink-haired blacksmith questioned in disbelief. "Kirito just said that if we _all_ pull together, we'd win. So why can't we come?"

"Not to mention we're two of the only tanks in the guild," Celina argued. "We _need_ to come!"

The lead trio looked guilty, none more so than Marth, who gripped his right arm tightly with his other hand.

"We know that," Marth spoke up. "But its because you both are tanks that you have to stay behind. Once we attack the Shadow Fortress, Zarc's forces will move in on the city. You're the only ones we can count on to help protect the city."

Both blacksmiths slouched in sorrow. "I guess you make a good point," Lisbeth said begrudgingly. "We would have an easier time holding back any monsters if they attacked. But what will you guys do without us as your main tanks?"

"We've still got Agil, plus Marth and I can occasionally tank if we use Wolf Heart," Kirito replied. "Believe me, we want you two to come, but there's just too much at stake here."

Celina sighed in defeat. "Okay, we'll stay and protect Tokyo. Just promise that you'll all come back safely."

Marth simply smirked. "You got it," the Silver Aegis said. "Everyone else, spend the rest of the day to get ready. We leave at first light tomorrow."

"Right," the others replied.

**Later**

Most of the Alfheim Warriors left the dorm to prepare for the final battle ahead. Asuna and Yuuki went to visit the latter's family while Thorrnn and Leafa went to visit theirs, along with Marth and Kirito. The others were doing other things. Even though they weren't going, Lisbeth and Celina decided to check on everyone's weapons in the living room.

Celina was examining Lunara and Solaris, which were still in pristine condition despite all the harsh battles they endured. "Every time I see these swords, I get envious," the brown-haired blacksmith confessed as she held Lunara by its blade, its heavy weight not bothering her as much due to her higher strength parameter. "Both Lunara and Solaris never need maintenance because of their infinite durability, but Marth still has me check on them."

"He probably does it just to be safe," Lisbeth replied as she was working on Asuna's rapier. "You never know if someone inflicted them with a debuff or something."

"True." Celina then stared at the Lunara's blade, seeing her own reflection in it. "Beautiful. I wonder what this sword is made of."

The pink-haired Leprechaun eyed her partner curiously. "What does it matter? It's just a game-object."

Celina shook her head. "No, its not. I can tell that this sword is special. Both it and Solaris aren't made from some special metal, so what was used instead to forge them?"

"Dragon teeth."

Both blacksmiths nearly jumped when they saw Marth and Kirito had come back.

"When did you guys get back?" Lisbeth questioned as she tried to calm her heart.

"Just now," Marth answered before facing Celina. "Anyway, to answer your question, back when Lunara and Solaris were originally Lunaris, the Twilight Sword, it was forged from Critias's sharpest fang. That might be the reason why neither of them can break."

"Cool," Celina commented. "Hang on, didn't Kirito mention Critias the other day?"

"Yeah," Marth said. "Something tells me there's more to the story than this. Anyway, keep up the good work, you two."

The Darkness Duo then exited the dorm to let the girls continue their work in peace and closed the door behind them.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" Kirito questioned.

"I had a weird dream after I blacked out," Marth said slowly. "I was in some cavern, all alone. Then I saw some person dressed in silver talking to himself about some things I couldn't understand. His voice even sounded familiar but different at the same time." He shook his head. "Sorry, it's not easy for me to explain."

"It's okay," Kirito said in understanding. "Do you have any idea who that person could be?"

Marth shook his head. "No, I don't. Then I ended up on a mountain where I met up with Critias again. Right at the end of the dream, he told me that only the Dark Swordsman could kill Zarc."

Kirito folded his arms and said, "That sounds a little cliché, but I'll buy it. Was there anything else he said?"

"Not really," Marth replied. "Everything else just confused me."

"Interesting," Kirito mused. "Every time we get answers, more questions just pop up. Will this ever end?"

"Who knows."

**The Next Day**

The Alfheim Warriors, minus Lisbeth and Celina, exited the base as the sun began rising from the sky. They all had their weapons in their scabbards/straps.

"Is everyone ready?" Marth asked as he, Kirito, and Asuna faced the group. "Once we take off, there's no going back. Either we go and finish this or we don't come back at all. If any of you want to back out, this is your last chance."

Thorrnn giggled in amusement. "No need to be so dramatic, Brother," the Sylph said. "We promised Mom and Dad that we'd look after each other, remember? I'm going no matter what you say."

"I'm going to protect my wife," Agil said. "There's no way I'm backing out of this."

"We'll clobber Zarc and show the whole world that the Alfheim Warriors is the strongest guild ever!" Yuuki declared.

"Yeah!" the others agreed.

"Looks like we're all ready," Asuna said with a smile. "So let's go!"

The group then summoned their wings and took to the sky.

"Good luck, you guys!" Celina called out.

"Show that Demon King who's boss!" Lisbeth added.

Marth and the others simply waved at the Leprechauns before they took off towards the Shadow Fortress.

_"Here we come, Zarc,"_ Marth thought. _"And this time, you're going down!"_

**To be continued**

* * *

**Original Author's Note: The final battle of Dark Swordsman 2 is finally approaching. I just want to say thank you to all of you for reading my stories and favoriting them. It really means a lot to me. Reviews are always helpful since they give me new ideas. Anyway, I wasn't expecting the opportunity to insert a quick lore fact on Lunara and Solaris but I'm not complaining. I'll see you guys in the next chapter!**


	34. The Shadow Fortress

The Alfheim Warriors were flying towards the Shadow Fortress. So far, they hadn't encountered any monsters.

"Kirito, how are you with your dark magic?" Marth asked suddenly as they flew.

"I've gotten a little better at it," the Black Swordsman replied.

"Do you think you could conceal us all so the fortress can't detect us?"

"I can try." Kirito then began chanting a cloaking-spell. When he finished, he and the others faded into shadows.

"Nice job, Kazuto," Leafa praised.

"Thanks," the Spriggan said. "The spell should last for a few minutes. Let's go before it wears off."

The group then hurried towards the flying fortress. As they flew, Marth noticed the fortress's tallest spire had a spiraling dark cloud above it.

**Later**

Two goblins were patrolling a hallway within the Shadow Fortress. When they went turned at a corner, they suddenly found themselves cut down by dual-swords.

"Well that was easy," Marth said as he and his friends reappeared, their weapons drawn.

"No fair," Yuuki complained. "I wanted to fight!"

"There'll be plenty of fighting for you, Yuuki," Asuna replied as she checked the area. "This place feels evil. Is Zarc even here? What if this is just a trap to lure us away from Tokyo?"

"Oh, he's here alright," Marth said with certainty, causing all eyes to face him. "Zarc knows that he can't beat us so easily. If he wants to win, he'll want to fight us where he has the advantage."

"So is this a trap or not?" Leafa questioned nervously.

"It doesn't really matter," Kirito answered. "Taking down Zarc is the only way to end this war. We don't have a choice but to continue."

"Kirito's right," Sinon agreed. "But this place is huge, and we don't know where Zarc is hiding. We just don't have the time to search this place completely."

"I might know where he is," Marth spoke up. "If I had to guess, Zarc will be at the spire. It's the best place for him to overlook Tokyo as it burns."

Klein gritted his teeth in anger. "That bastard! That sounds like something he would do! We have to stop him!"

"We know that," Agil said. "That's why we're here. Marth, Kirito, do you think you guys can navigate this place with Wolf Heart?"

"We can try," the Black Swordsman said.

The Spriggans switched to their wolf forms and began sniffing the air. Suddenly they caught the Demon King's scent.

"This way," Marth said. "Follow us."

The wolves then hurried down the hallway, following Zarc's scent, with their friends in hot pursuit.

**Meanwhile**

Zarc was at the Shadow Spire, the place that Marth pointed out, and was staring at a large black crystal that was embedded into the wall.

"So the Darkness Crystal is still intact even after all these years," the Demon King mused. "Good. With this powering my fortress, Tokyo will be reduced to rubble before my feet."

Suddenly Krem appeared from the stairwell and hurried to his master. He seemed to be in a panic.

"Master Zarc!" Krem said hastily. "Terrible news!"

The Demon King turned towards the goblin and said, "Calm down, Krem. What's wrong?"

"The Alfheim Warriors have infiltrated the Shadow Fortress! They're making their way here as we speak!"

"Are they all here inside the fortress?"

"No, Master. The Leprechauns aren't with them."

Zarc held his chin in thought. "They must've stayed behind to protect Tokyo," he mused before sneering. "You clever boy, Marth."

"What should we do, Master?" Krem asked nervously.

"Tell all our forces here to take defensive positions!" Zarc commanded. "Meanwhile, order our ground forces to begin their attack on Tokyo! I gave my word that I wouldn't use the Shadow Fortress until three days have passed and I plan on keeping it. But that doesn't mean I can't ravage the city in _other_ ways!"

Krem gave a proud salute to his leader. "As you wish. I'll see to the fortress's defenses myself. The Aegis and his comrades will not reach here! I swear it!" The goblin commander then hurried to fulfill his orders.

"I doubt it," Zarc said in remorse. "I know just how powerful they are." He turned his attention to the Shadow Crystal. "Well then, Marth, don't let my generosity go to waste. There won't be any second chances if you screw this up."

**Meanwhile**

Eugene, Chrysheight, Alicia, Sakuya, and Yamikaze were in the conference room when suddenly Lisbeth and Celina stormed inside.

"The monsters are attacking again!" Lisbeth exclaimed in a panic.

The male Undine gritted his teeth in frustration. "I knew this would happen," Chrysheight said as he adjusted his glasses. "Without Marth and the other Alfheim Warriors, we don't have the strength to repel them."

"So do we just give up?" Yamikaze asked sarcastically. "I don't know about you, but I don't plan on going down without a fight."

"Neither do I," Eugene added. "That goes for all the other players as well."

"Totally," Alicia said. "We just need to hold out long enough for the Alfheim Warriors to kill Zarc. Once he's dead, his army will disappear."

"And you can count on us for support!" Celina said with pride. "That's why we're here in the first place!"

Chrysheight couldn't help but smile before rising from his seat. "Very well," the Undine said. "This is our home. We'll defend it no matter what." His eyes became serious. "Tell our forces to begin our last stand. No matter what happens, this will be the _final_ day of the Demon War!"

**Later**

Marth, in his wolf form, tackled a dire wolf leader to the ground before the dire wolf pushed him off. The dire wolf leader snarled at the black wolf and prepared to pounce on him when Yuuki suddenly ran her sword through its chest, killing it instantly.

"Thanks," Marth said as he stood before a large double-door. "But you didn't have to do that."

Yuuki simply smiled as their friends were finishing off the other dire wolves. "I know," the Imp replied. "But I wanted to do it."

The black wolf rolled his eyes before facing his friends as they approached.

"We should near the spire now," Marth said with authority as he and Kirito reverted back to their Spriggan forms. "There's no doubt in my mind that behind these doors will be more monsters trying to stop us. Remember to use your powers sparingly. We'll need all of our strength to take down Zarc."

"Zarc caught us off-guard last time," Asuna added. "But this time we'll be ready for him. This time, we'll win!"

"Yeah," Kirito agreed. "No matter what this fortress throws at us, we won't stop! There's too much at stake here! Now let's do this!"

"Yeah!" the others agreed.

Marth then opened the double-door, revealing a large darkened corridor. The Alfheim Warriors entered the room with their weapons drawn.

"Careful guys," Thorrnn said warily. "This reeks of an ambush."

"That you are correct, human scum," said a familiar voice.

Suddenly the room lit up, revealing Krem, who was wielding a greatsword, with a group of dark mages, goblins, a few other monsters and a gold minotaur.

"So there are monsters who can talk," Sinon mused. "I didn't expect that."

"Actually, I remember Gleam Eyes talking when I fought him in Alrest," Marth added. "I just figured it was because he was a boss monster though."

"Just what are you implying, Aegis?!" Krem shouted in uproar, with little tick marks appearing on his forehead. "I happen to be Master Zarc's top general!"

"Then how come this is our first encounter with each other?"

"I was busy leading my master's forces against you pathetic humans! I may not look menacing, but I'm just as strong as a boss monster."

Yuuki could sense a bad vibe from the goblin commander. "I think he's serious, Marth," the Absolute Sword spoke up. "He doesn't have the same kind presence that the other monsters have."

Krem then sneered. "At least one of you has some sense. This is as far as you'll go. I won't let you reach my master! Attack!"

The monsters then charged at the group while the dark mages began casting spells.

"Marth, take out those mages!" Asuna ordered. "Kirito, you handle that minotaur!"

"Roger!" the Darkness Duo replied before switching to their wolf forms and charged at their respective opponents.

"The rest of us will deal with other monsters!" the Undine finished.

The other fairies, except Sinon, then charged at the other monsters. Asuna clashed with Krem before she pushed him away, allowing Yuuki to stab him in the chest with «Vorpal Strike», creating a small dent in his armor.

"Why you," Krem said in anger. "You'll pay for that!"

Yuuki gave the goblin a confident smirk. "Try me."

Meanwhile Marth had the dark mages in a panic as their spells barely had an effect on him.

"Wh-what the hell?!" one mage said. "Why aren't our spells working?!"

Suddenly one dark mage was tackled by a black blur. Marth then killed the mage by biting into his neck, causing the mage to fade into shadows.

"That thing's a monster!" another mage exclaimed in fear.

"Takes one to know one," Marth answered simply as he slowly approached the remaining mages, who were practically cowering at this point. "Howling Thunder!" The black wolf unleashed a purple lightning breath attack at the petrified mages, killing them instantly.

"Hmph, too easy," the wolf scoffed. He then turned towards his partner and saw Kirito was having some trouble with the gold minotaur.

The white wolf pounced on the minotaur ready to bite into its neck when the minotaur slammed its axe into his chest. While the attack barely injured Kirito, he was knocked to the floor from the intensity of the blow. The minotaur then raised its axe over its head to strike the white wolf again when suddenly a black wolf tackled it away.

"Need a hand?" Marth offered as his partner picked himself up.

"A little," Kirito replied. "That monster's just like the one we fought back in Thrymheim. Its high physical defense is making it hard for me to injure it."

The black wolf simply smirked. "Luckily for us, we have a way to counter that."

The white wolf returned the gesture. "That we do." The two wolves stood side-to-side. "Ready?"

"Ready."

"Howling Shadows/Howling Thunder!" Kirito and Marth shouted respectively before unleashing their breath attacks.

The lightning and darkness mixed together as it sailed towards the boss monster. The gold minotaur's eyes went wide with shock before raising its arms to protect itself. The merged attack then struck the minotaur and inflicted massive damage on it, causing it to roar in pain. When the attack ended, nothing was left of the monster, not even its axe.

"Our brothers are really something," Leafa commented as she deflected a goblin's axe with her katana.

"They sure are," Thorrnn agreed while running through the goblin's chest with «Linear», killing it.

Another goblin tried to strike the green-haired Sylph during her post-motion delay, but Leafa killed it by slashing its waist with a Sword Skill. The two Sylphs then stood back-to-back, taking out any monsters that dared to attack them. Agil, Silica, and Klein were busy making sure the monsters weren't attacking Sinon, though any who did manage to slip past them was instantly met with a fire arrow to the face.

Agil cleaved his axe through three goblins at once, killing them, while Klein and Silica struck down the lizardmen.

" _This_ is the best Zarc can offer?" Klein questioned. "This is a piece of cake."

Suddenly a lizardman tried slashing at the samurai's back with its scimitar but dissolved into shadows when Silica stabbed it in the back with a dagger Sword Skill.

"Don't get cocky, Klein," the brown-haired Cait Sith replied. "More of them are coming."

True to her word, more goblins and lizardmen were appearing from the shadows, along with a few wyverns.

"Oh come on!" the Salamander complained loudly.

One wyvern unleashed a fire breath at the duo, prompting them to brace for the attack, only for Marth to take the blow instead, causing him to grunt in pain as his fur got burned and be covered in soot.

"Are you okay?" Silica asked in concern.

"Y-yeah," Marth said slowly as he shook the soot off of him. His fur was already healing rapidly. "That was stronger than I thought it would be."

The same wyvern slashed at the black wolf with its claws, only for the wolf to nimbly dodge it. The wyvern roared in rage and readied another breath attack but was interrupted when Sinon fired an ice arrow into its right eye.

"Nice shot," Agil praised.

Sinon simply smirked. "I was actually aiming for its forehead, but I'll take it."

Marth then chuckled in amusement as he switched to his GGO avatar. "That sounds like you, Sinon," he said while drawing Lunara from its scabbard on his waist, causing the blade to light up, and his FN Five-Seven.

The wyvern swung its tail at the silver-haired lightswordsman, who simply rolled out of the way. Marth then slashed at its tail with his sword, leaving a deep gash behind. He then followed it up by jumping up into the air and severed the wyvern's head, killing it. A lizardman tried to attack him from the side, only to be killed by a purple photon sword.

"You left your flank open," Kirito, in his GGO avatar, lightly scolded.

"That's what you're for," Marth teased as he and Kirito went over to Klein, Agil and Silica as they faced the other monsters. "Ready guys?"

"Yeah!" the others replied before charging at the remaining monsters while Sinon fired a barrage of arrows at the wyverns.

Meanwhile, Asuna and Yuuki were still clashing with Krem. Surprisingly enough, he was actually really strong and had adjusted to fighting two opponents at once.

"We need to end this now," the Lightning Flash said.

"Yeah," the Absolute Sword agreed. "We can't waste any more time here!" She then got an idea and whispered it in the Undine's ear.

"Got it," Asuna said with a nod before facing the goblin commander.

The Undine then charged at Krem at high-speed and lunged her rapier at his chest. The goblin easily parried her attack but Asuna wasn't done as she unleashed «Star Splash», greatly injuring Krem and made gashes in his armor. The Sword Skill even forced him back a little.

"Grr… Lucky hit," Krem said in frustration. "But it ends here!"

Krem charged at the Undine when she suddenly switched to her SAO avatar. Ignoring the change, Krem swung his greatsword horizontally at the Lightning Flash's waist but was shocked when she deflected his attack with a Sword Skill.

"Yuuki, Switch!" Asuna shouted as the post-motion delay took effect on her.

"Leave it to me!" the Imp declared as she charged at Krem. She let out a howl as she activated «Mother's Rosario», stabbing the goblin ten times in the chest before concluding the Sword Skill by running her sword through Krem's heart.

"Im…possible," Krem gasped out as he stumbled back, removing Yuuki's sword from his chest. "How could I… lose to humans?"

Yuuki then flicked her sword to shake off the black blood that coated it. "You should've done your homework on us," the Imp said confidently. "We won't lose to anyone!"

Krem then fell to his knees and coughed up blood. "Master Zarc… I have… failed you," he struggled to say. "Forgive… me…" Krem then succumbed to his wounds as he dissolved into shadows.

"Now that's teamwork!" Yuuki cheered as she and Asuna high-fived each other.

The girls then saw that the other monsters were slain as well, prompting the guild to gather in the center of the room.

"Okay guys, Zarc's just up ahead," Marth debriefed as he and Kirito reverted to their ALO avatars. "Remember, he's dangerous so don't lower your guard, not even for a split second. Kirito and I will hold his attention while they rest of you flank him and use your spells."

"This is a battle we can't afford to lose," Kirito took over. "Thousands of people are counting on us to pull through and end this bloodshed. Let's win, for our friends and family back home!"

"Yeah!" everyone shouted as they brought their weapons together.

**Later**

After climbing a long staircase, the Alfheim Warriors finally reached the Shadow Spire, where they found Zarc waiting for them. The sun had already set, revealing the starry sky.

"So you finally made it here," Zarc said nonchalantly as he kept his back towards the group. "You sure know how to keep me waiting."

"Zarc," Marth said in frustration. "It's time we end this."

The Demon King turned to face the group and smirked. "For once, we're in agreement, Dark Swordsman," Zarc said as he summoned his sword and rested it on his shoulders. "Last time we fought, you weren't at your peak. I hope my generosity gave you enough time to recover so we can fight for real."

"You'll see," the Dark Swordsman replied as he drew his dual swords and got into his signature stance.

"Before we begin, might I direct your attention to your home?"

"Huh?"

The Alfheim Warriors turned towards Tokyo, which was directly below them and saw it up in flames as monsters were invading it.

"No," Yuuki said in shock.

"I thought you said you wouldn't attack again until three days have passed?!" Klein exclaimed in outrage.

"Incorrect," Zarc said. "I only said that I wouldn't unleash the Shadow Fortress upon the city. I never said anything about not attacking Tokyo with my army."

"Well it's not like we didn't see it coming," Kirito voiced as he drew his swords.

Zarc then got into a fighting stance. "The time for talk is over," he declared. "Let's end this, once and for all!"

Suddenly two Gleam Eyes appeared behind the Demon King, prompting the others to draw their weapons in response.

"Here we go, guys!" Marth shouted. "Don't hold back!"

"Yeah!" the others replied.

The two groups then charged at each other, with Marth and Zarc in the lead as they clashed swords.

**To be continued**


	35. Enter Siren

Marth and Kirito were clashing with Zarc while their friends were dealing with the two Gleam Eyes monsters.

"Is that the best you can do, Darkness Duo?!" Zarc goaded as he parried the Spriggans' attacks.

"Not even close!" Kirito grunted as he activated «Vorpal Strike» with his black sword. He lunged at the demon's stomach but was knocked back when Zarc deflected his attack.

Zarc then felt a cold sensation run down his spine, prompting him to look up. He saw a purple lightning bolt come down from the sky, prompting him to defend with a black barrier. Zarc grunted as he felt himself pushed down from the spell, but easily shrugged it off before eyeing Marth.

"You'll need to do better than that," the Demon King boasted.

Marth simply glared at the demon. "You asked for it."

The Spriggans then charged at the demon with their dual swords. Meanwhile, Yuuki, Asuna and the others were battling the Gleam Eyes monsters. Both bosses were powerful, but the group was somehow managing to hang on. One Gleam Eyes was even knocked back when Thorrnn blasted it with a fire spell, burning its sword arm.

"I just realized something," Thorrnn said suddenly. "Gleam Eyes is a boss from Sword Art Online so it has countermeasures to deal with things from SAO, like Sword Skills. But magic didn't exist in SAO, so Gleam Eyes can't protect itself from it."

"We did manage to trap a Gleam Eyes and a Skull Reaper by using magic. Not to mention Marth and Asuna took out four SAO bosses at once with Stormsurge," Leafa added. "Maybe that's how we can take these things out."

"Sounds like a plan," Asuna replied. "You and Thorrnn should start casting a spell strong enough to kill these things. We'll cover you."

The blonde Sylph nodded in confirmation. "You got it."

Asuna and the others, minus Sinon, then charged at the bosses head-on. Meanwhile the Sylphs stood back-to-back.

"Should we do a Unison Spell?" Thorrnn questioned.

"We might have to," Leafa replied. "There's no other way we can end this quickly."

"Then let's do it."

The Sylphs then closed their eyes as they began chanting the Fire Unison Spell, causing them to be surrounded by crimson flames. Asuna and Yuuki were holding off the first Gleam Eyes, with occasional support from Sinon, while Agil, Klein and Silica were fighting the second boss.

The Lightning Flash and Absolute Sword kept Switching to slowly wear the boss down, which seemed to be working as the boss's attacks were getting slower, though only slightly. Sinon fired a barrage of lightning arrows at the first Gleam Eyes, injuring its arms and legs and stunning it long enough for Asuna to strike its chest with «Linear», injuring it even further.

As for the second Gleam Eyes, Agil managed to keep its attention on him while Klein and Silica flanked it. The boss tried to strike at the Cait Sith with its snake tail, but Klein blocked it with his katana. Silica then used her dagger to sever the snake's head, rendering the tail worthless.

The boss roared in outrage and swung its sword down at Agil, who barely managed to block it with his axe.

"A little help here," Agil strained to say.

"I've got your back!" Klein shouted as he activated a Sword Skill with his katana, causing the blade to ignite in flames. The samurai then jumped into the air and slashed the Gleam Eyes's left shoulder, leaving a deep cut and burn behind.

The second Gleam Eyes changed its focus to the samurai and prepared to counter while he was frozen, only for Agil to stop it with an axe Sword Skill.

Suddenly Sinon noticed the flames around the Sylphs, who were right next to her, to intensify.

"Everyone, get back!" Sinon shouted in warning.

The Alfheim Warriors, at least the ones engaging the boss monsters, saw the Sylphs and immediately jumped away from the monsters.

"Ragnarök!" Thorrnn and Leafa shouted in sync.

Suddenly the sky lit up as several meteors descended and struck the boss monsters, consuming them both in a fiery explosion that shook the whole fortress. Everyone was in awe of the spell's power, even Marth, Kirito, and Zarc.

"Whoa," Marth said simply.

"So that's what Leafa and Thorrnn were busy with the last few days," Kirito replied before smirking. "Awesome."

Thorrnn and Leafa then collapsed to their knees as exhaustion overtook them.

"Are you guys okay?" Sinon asked the Sylphs in concern.

"Yeah," Leafa said slowly as she tried to catch her breath. "We'll be… fine… after… a few minutes."

"Focus on… stopping Zarc," Thorrnn added.

Asuna and the others complied and turned their focus to Zarc, who was busy fighting Marth and Kirito. Silica then noticed dark clouds making their way to the city.

"What are those?" the Cait Sith asked nervously.

Zarc, who was locking swords with Kirito, knocked the Spriggan back before sneering as monsters appeared from the clouds and flew towards the city.

"That would be my reinforcements," the Demon King declared. "And they're just in time

"What?" Kirito said in disbelief.

Marth grunted in frustration before firing a lightning blast from Lunara at Zarc, who easily blocked it with a swing of his sword as he charged at the Dark Swordsman. Zarc then unleashed a flurry of slashes on the Spriggan, who proceeded to block them all with his dual swords.

"Come on!" Zarc goaded as Marth blocked his attack with a cross-block. "Is that all the Silver Aegis is capable of?!"

Marth then forced Zarc's sword away before back flipping away, while also kicking the demon in the face. "Haha," Marth said confidently. "You're gonna regret that. I think its time to end your army."

Zarc's eyes widened in shock. "Huh?"

Marth's Core Crystal lit up as purple-electric aura surrounded him. "Thunder Javelin!" the Silver Aegis shouted.

Suddenly several large spears of purple lightning shot down from the sky and flew towards the army of flying monsters, annihilating a majority of them.

"Don't you know preparation is everything, Zarc?" Marth said confidently as his hair and coat rustled from the wind that blew.

Zarc turned towards his aerial forces and smirked. "Very impressive," he said smugly before eyeing the Aegis. "But it won't be enough."

Suddenly more aerial monsters appeared from the clouds, practically filling in the gaps that Marth made with his spell.

"What?" Marth said in shock.

"Preparation is everything," Zarc replied as he pointed his sword at the blue-eyed Spriggan. "Isn't that what you said, Dark Swordsman?"

Marth gritted his teeth in anger. _"If that's how he wants to play it, then no more holding back,"_ he thought. The Dark Swordsman began changing into his SAO avatar. His overcoat briefly changed into his blackwyrm coat before it quickly reverted back into his ALO attire, much to Marth's shock.

"What the? Why didn't it work?" Marth asked himself. He tried to change into his SAO avatar again, but the same thing just happened again.

Everyone else was just as confused, though Zarc looked more amused.

"Looks like someone's having a little trouble with their powers," Zarc mocked.

Marth was too in shock to notice Zarc charging at him, prompting Yuuki to cry out, "Snap out of it, Marth!"

The Dark Swordsman snapped out of his thoughts and saw Yuuki intercept the Demon King and lock swords with him, causing sparks to dance into the air.

"Hello again," Zarc said arrogantly. "Do you have something to say?"

Yuuki pushed the Demon King back and readied a «Vorpal Strike». "Why are you so intent on getting revenge on Marth?" she asked before charging at the demon while lunging her sword at him.

Zarc easily side-stepped out of the way before he noticed Kirito fire a few dark projectiles at him, prompting Zarc to block them with a dark barrier.

"I've already told you why," the Demon King replied. "He killed my master and ended my life two times. The punishment for that is total annihilation."

"Not on my watch!" Kirito shouted as he clashed swords with Zarc before they both backed off and began circling each other.

"Oh yeah?" Zarc questioned as he pushed against the Spriggan's swords. "Answer me this. Marth is an Aegis, yet he hasn't let loose even once during this whole war. I bet you're the one holding him back. This whole war might've ended sooner if Marth didn't have you for a Driver."

Kirito reeled back in surprise. "No, I haven't…" The Spriggan then turned towards his partner, who looked just as confused as him. Kirito then realized his mistake as he barely managed to block Zarc's slash aimed at his head, but Kirito was still knocked to the ground from the impact.

"Kirito!" Asuna shouted in worry as she hurried to her boyfriend and helped him up.

"Zarc!" Marth exclaimed in rage as his Core Crystal lit up with silver light.

Suddenly a silver and black Siren with black wings and a silver Aegis core on its chest descended from the sky before hovering behind the blue-eyed Spriggan.

"So you finally summoned Siren!" Zarc said in glee. "Good. Now the real fun begins!"

Marth's rage was replaced with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll just show you!" Zarc then snapped his fingers, causing the Shadow Crystal to begin glowing. The crystal then fired a dark beam at Marth's Artifice, forcing it to the ground.

"Siren!" Marth shouted in worry.

Strangely, the beam didn't seem to harm the Artifice after it ended, allowing Siren to pick itself back up, but everyone then noticed a large shadow looming behind Zarc. Everyone then gasped as they saw a pure black demon-like version of Siren rise up from the shadow and hovered behind Zarc. The Shadow Siren also had black Aegis core as well.

"How did he do that?" Silica asked in fear.

"This is really bad, guys!" Agil shouted. "Now Zarc has an Artifice of his own!"

"Indeed!" Zarc exclaimed. "And its all thanks to the Shadow Crystal. It can scan whatever weaponry my enemies use and create shadow versions of them that I can control. That includes Artifices like Siren."

Marth's eyes filled with rage as his core's light grew brighter. "Your Artifice is nothing but a cheap knock-off! My Siren won't lose to something like that!"

"We'll see about that! Shadow Siren, attack!"

"Take that imposter down, Siren!"

The two Sirens then rammed at each other with their barriers activated, creating a shockwave that rocked the whole fortress.

"Take it easy, Marth!" Kirito shouted desperately. "If you're not careful, you could destroy this whole place!"

The Silver Aegis calmed down slightly, with his core's light dying down. "Sorry," Marth said apologetically. "Lost my cool for a second there."

The two Sirens then took their battle to the sky, though they stayed close to the Shadow Fortress. Meanwhile Thorrnn and Leafa had recovered enough strength to rejoin the fight.

"Sorry we're late," Thorrnn said as she and her fellow Sylph hurried to their friends.

"You're just in time," Yuuki replied. "Now let's finish this!"

The Alfheim Warriors charged at the Demon King, who merely sneered at the sight. Zarc easily parried Klein and Agil's attacks with his sword before blocking Marth and Kirito's spells with his dark barrier. Zarc then summoned a pillar of dark magic from the ground, injuring Silica and Yuuki, who were caught in its blast. Thankfully Asuna switched to her ALO form and healed them with her magic.

"Thanks, Asuna," Yuuki said with a smile.

"You're welcome," the Undine replied.

Meanwhile Marth's Siren fired a barrage of silver energy projectiles, prompting Shadow Siren to block with its defense barrier. The Silver Siren then drew one of its swords and struck the barrier, pushing Shadow Siren back.

"So this is what a battle between Artifices is like," Zarc said. "I love it. With this fortress and Shadow Siren at my side, my victory is assured!"

"Don't count on it!" Marth and Kirito shouted as they charged at the Demon King.

The Darkness Duo unleashed a flurry of slashes but Zarc managed to repel them all, though a few attacks did slip past him, but they barely injured him. Zarc then summoned a giant sphere of dark magic and hurled it towards the Alfheim Warriors, only for Marth to block it with «Stormveil». The collision of the two spells created a powerful explosion that knocked everyone back.

"That was way too close," Klein said. "If that attack had hit, we'd be finished."

"Not on my watch," Marth said with certainty.

Asuna and Yuuki then clashed with Zarc by constantly Switching, but they were hardly leaving an impact on the demon.

"Boring," Zarc said as he forced the girls away with a shockwave of dark magic. He then raised his dark barrier to block a barrage of fire arrows from Sinon, much to the archer's frustration.

"This is getting annoying!" Thorrnn exclaimed as she fired a volley of fireballs at the demon, only for Zarc to counter with his own magic, cancelling the two out.

"No kidding," Leafa replied.

Suddenly Marth tossed his swords to Kirito, who quickly sheathed his own and caught the twin swords with ease.

"Let's do this, Marth!" Kirito shouted as Lunara and Solaris flared with auras of their respective elements.

"Yeah!" the Silver Aegis agreed.

A silver aura then surrounded the Spriggans as Kirito charged at Zarc at high-speed. The Demon King was barely able to block the Black Swordsman's first attack, which was a horizontal slash with Lunara, but it left him open to getting stabbed in the stomach by Solaris.

"Insolent punk," Zarc said in anger as he healed his injury. "You'll pay for that!"

"We'll see," Kirito said simply.

The two then unleashed a flurry of attacks on each other, with Kirito chaining Sword Skills by using Skill Connect. While both opponents were injured from their attacks, Zarc's were more serious than Kirito's.

The Black Swordsman wasn't done yet as he then shouted, "Starburst Stream!"

Lunara and Solaris's blades began glowing blue as Kirito activated his OSS. The Black Swordsman unleashed the Sword Skill on the Demon King, greatly damaging his armor and also forcing him back. After Starburst Stream concluded, Marth and Kirito's aura faded.

"Impressive," Zarc said as his armor began repairing itself. "But you could do so much more." He then eyed the Silver Aegis. "C'mon, Marth. Stop holding back!"

Suddenly Shadow Siren drew twin swords and charged at Marth's Siren, prompting the Artifice to draw its own. The two Siren clashed fiercely in the air before Shadow Siren managed to overpower Marth's Siren and knocked it into the Shadow Fortress.

Marth grunted in frustration. _"Nothing I do works. Critias said that only the Dark Swordsman can kill Zarc, but none of my attacks have a lasting impact on him. What should I do?"_

Zarc simply sneered. "Can't do it?" he questioned. "Then I'll force it out of you!"

Suddenly Shadow Siren turned towards Tokyo and readied its particle cannon. It promptly fired several black particle beams at the city, destroying a few buildings and killing dozens of people in the explosions that followed. One explosion was heading towards Lisbeth, who was fighting a golem.

"Liz, look out!" Celina cried out in warning before she got in front of her friend as the blast reached them.

Meanwhile, back at the Shadow Fortress, the Alfheim Warriors were speechless. They could even picture the screams of the people as they fled for their lives.

"No!" Yuuki said in shock.

"This can't be real," Silica added.

Kirito gritted his teeth in anger. "You bastard!" he shouted. "Your fight's with us, not them!" He then faced his partner. "Let's take him down, Marth!"

Sadly, the Dark Swordsman was too lost in his own thoughts to hear. "No," Marth said in grief as he thought about the two guildmates that were in the city. "This can't be… Celina! Liz!"

Suddenly Marth was overcome with a range of different emotions. He felt worry and grief over his friends and family that were still in Tokyo, shock from the horror he just witnessed, to rage for the man who caused it.

_"He must pay for this atrocity!"_ a voice called out in Marth's head. The voice's tone was male and full of anger.

"Who said that?" Marth questioned in fear, confusing his friends.

"Are you okay, Marth?" Yuuki asked in concern.

Marth didn't answer as he held his head with his hands while his Core Crystal lit up while his emotions became chaotic. He let out a scream as a strange power overwhelmed him, like something deep inside him was trying to take control of his body, surrounding him in a pillar of silver light. At the same time, the dragon-like Artifice, which was hiding somewhere near Tokyo, stirred ever so slightly. Soon the pillar of light faded, but Marth had a silver aura around him and his core was glowing. His eyes were now silver instead of blue too.

At the same time, Kirito suddenly felt an immense power from Lunara and Solaris flowing into him, making it difficult for him to even stand.

"M-Marth? What's going on?" Kirito questioned before looking down. "What the…?" Suddenly Lunara and Solaris became silver with white energy emitting from the blades. The power coming from the twin swords was too much for the Black Swordsman to handle, prompting him to fall to his knees as silver energy radiated off his body.

"Kirito!" Asuna shouted in worry. The Undine tried to help her boyfriend, but the aura around him forced her away.

"Stay…back…Asuna," Kirito struggled to say before facing his partner. "Marth…help!"

The Silver Aegis turned towards his Driver, but his eyes seemed lost and lacked sort of any recognition in them.

"Marth…what's…wrong?" Kirito asked with difficulty.

Marth didn't answer him as he approached his Driver and took his swords back, lessening the burden on Kirito, but he was still unable to move. The Silver Aegis then turned his attention to Zarc.

"Marth?" Thorrnn questioned. "What's going on? You're kinda freaking me out."

"Answer us, please!" Yuuki pleaded, but her cries fell on deaf ears.

Zarc, on the other hand, looked amused at the sight. "So this is what you're fully capable of," the Demon King replied as a dark aura surrounded him. "Now the real battle can begin. Show me what you've got, Marth!"

Marth and Zarc then charged at each other at high-speed and locked swords, creating a shockwave that knocked the others back. As they tried to overpower each other, Zarc looked Marth in the eye and was shocked at the emptiness in them.

"Looks like someone can't control his own power," Zarc goaded.

"We'll…see about…that," Marth said slowly, but his voice sounded mixed with someone else's.

The two opponents then backed off of each other before they both summoned wings and took their battle to the sky, constantly clashing at high speeds.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Klein shouted. "Why's Marth acting so weird?!"

"I…don't know," Kirito answered as he tried to stand up but couldn't. "Something's… wrong with him. It's like I…don't even recognize him."

"Are you serious?" Sinon asked in disbelief as Yuuki and Thorrnn watched the duel in the sky in shock.

The clashing of swords echoed in the air as Marth and Zarc fought each other. The Dark Swordsman slashed at the demon's legs with his dual swords, only for Zarc to deflect his attack. Suddenly Marth's Siren appeared behind him, prompting Marth to dismiss his swords before merging with Siren's Aegis core.

"Two can play at that game!" Zarc declared as Shadow Siren appeared behind him before he did the same as Marth.

Both opponents then took direct control over their Artifices before Shadow Siren took off high into the air, with Silver Siren in hot pursuit. The two Artifices then rammed into each other with their defense barriers on, creating powerful shockwaves that shook the Shadow Fortress.

"Marth! Stop!" Kirito pleaded.

"This is insane!" Agil exclaimed. "What does Marth think he's doing?!"

"I don't think he cares," Yuuki said grimly as she felt completely helpless.

The two Sirens began their battle over Tokyo, with Shadow Siren firing a black particle beam at Marth, who was just staying out of its way, but the city wasn't so lucky as the beam leveled buildings and caused both humans and monsters to scatter in fear. Silver Siren then retaliated by firing several particle blasts at Shadow Siren, who blocked them with its defense barrier as it made its way towards its fellow Artifice.

"What are those things?" Eugene questioned as he and the other leaders watched the fight in disbelief.

"I don't know," Chrysheight said. "But I've got a bad feeling about this."

Shadow Siren managed to deliver a solid kick on Silver Siren, but the latter managed to grab onto its leg and threw it into the city. Zarc yelped as the cockpit he was in shook when he crashed. Marth then let out a terrifying scream as Silver Siren began charging its particle cannon.

"No, Marth!" Kirito shouted desperately. "Don't do it!"

Even Zarc was shocked at Marth's actions. He was barely able to get Shadow Siren up to avoid the silver particle beam that Marth's Siren shot at him, though the beam followed him while also damaging Tokyo even further. Marth wasn't done yet as he recklessly had his Siren fire even more particle beams, not caring if they hit their mark or not.

Eventually Zarc's Siren managed to land a particle beam on Marth's Siren, disabling its particle cannon. Silver Siren responded by drawing its twin swords and flew at Shadow Siren. Marth's Artifice managed to sever Zarc's particle cannon from his Artifice, prompting Shadow Siren to move to safety while Silver Siren moved near the Shadow Fortress.

"Why you," Zarc said in anger. "Destroy him!"

Suddenly all of Zarc's aerial monsters flew towards Marth's Siren, eager to kill its pilot. However, Marth's Core Crystal began glowing, prompting Siren's core to do the same. Soon a large mysterious silver aura appeared around Siren, vaporizing any monsters that dared to enter it.

"What the?!" Zarc exclaimed in shock.

Meanwhile Kirito could only watch as his best friend continued to lose himself to his own power. "M-Marth," he muttered in desperation. "This isn't you. Please… snap out of it."

Zarc then found himself chuckling. "You never cease to surprise me, Marth," the Demon King said through Shadow Siren's speakers. "So that's the power you've got hidden inside you! With that power, nothing this world has can stop you! You can make this world your bitch if you choose to!"

"N-no," Marth replied. "I-I'm not…like that. That's… not who…I am!"

Zarc shook his head in disappointment. "What a shame. Then I guess I'll just wrap this up and get back to destroying your city!"

Shadow Siren rapidly flew towards Silver Siren and readied a punch, only for Silver Siren to block it with its defense barrier. However, Shadow Siren didn't give in and was pushing back to overcome the barrier.

Marth groaned as he tried to maintain Siren's defense barrier when suddenly memories of his past began flooding through him. He remembered the first day of SAO, the fight with Gleam Eyes and the fight with Kayaba and Brandon, his and Kirito's battle with Death Gun, and Temporal Island.

"I just…wanted…to save…" Marth said in pain as a single tear leaked from his right eye.

Suddenly Marth began having visions of things he's never seen before. First, he saw himself walking with a girl with long black hair and amber eyes down a sidewalk. They were both wearing a black school uniform and seemed to be chatting about something. Next was Marth in some strange VRMMO where his avatar was wearing some kind of black futuristic armor and he had a black visor covering his eyes. He was wielding Lunara and Solaris and seemed to be battling a player with a strange blue avatar. And finally, Marth saw himself, in his SAO avatar, standing beside the girl from the first vision as they stood before an unknown foe.

"Someone…help…me," Marth pleaded as his tear ran down his cheek before touching his Core Crystal, causing its light to intensify.

Suddenly Siren's core unleashed a blinding silver light, prompting Zarc to shield his eyes as his Artifice was forced away by powerful shockwave that followed. He then watched in horror as Marth's Siren unleashed a barrage of silver blasts everywhere, wrecking most of Tokyo, killing the monsters, and inflicting massive damage to Shadow Siren, which began deteriorating from all the attacks.

Zarc howled in pain as the attacks nearly destroyed his armor and badly damaged his body. "Maaaarth!" Zarc shouted in anger as Shadow Siren plunged into the ocean.

Marth's attacks even reached the Shadow Fortress, destroying the Shadow Crystal and most of the structure.

"Kirito! Look out!" Yuuki shouted.

The Black Swordsman noticed one beam heading towards him, but he couldn't move to avoid it because of Marth's volatile power affecting him. Suddenly Yuuki jumped in front of him and took the attack instead, causing her to cry out in pain as the beam pierced her stomach and left a nasty wound behind.

"Yuuki!" Kirito shouted in worry.

The Absolute Sword collapsed on the ground as blood began pouring from the wound. Somehow, Kirito managed to move towards the Imp and cradled her in his arms.

Yuuki let out a sickly cough as she eyed the Black Swordsman. "Are you…okay, Kirito?" she asked weakly.

"Why?" Kirito asked as tears leaked from his eyes. "Why did you do that?"

"I couldn't…let you die," Yuuki answered simply. "If you died…then Marth would've returned to his Core Crystal. He doesn't…know how to…live without a Driver. Plus, he would never forgive himself… if he caused your death."

"But," Kirito said in sorrow as Asuna and the others hurried to them.

"Try not to talk, Yuuki," the Undine said as she knelt beside the Imp and tried to heal her stomach wound, however, the wound refused to close. "What's going on? Why won't this heal?" Asuna tried to use healing magic on Yuuki's wound several times, but nothing happened.

The Lightning Flash was stopped when Yuuki took her hand. "Enough…Asuna," the Imp said slowly. "That attack…was different from the others. This wound can't be healed, no matter what."

The others gasped in shock. "That can't be true," Leafa pleaded desperately. "Maybe it takes more than one healer. If me, Thorrnn and Asuna work together, I'm sure we can heal it."

The Sylphs and the Undine tried combining their healing magic, but the wound refused to close as blood continued to soak Yuuki's clothes and the ground below her.

"I told you that this wound can't be healed," Yuuki said gravely.

"But there has to be something we can do!" Asuna pleaded as tears stained her eyes. "Marth may not forgive himself if Kirito died, but the same applies to you too! You just can't die, Yuuki!"

Despite the situation, the Absolute Sword gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Asuna, I want you to promise me something," Yuuki said firmly. "Look after my OSS and pass it on when you find someone worthy of it. Make sure…that my sword lives forever."

Even with her tears running down her face, Asuna slowly nodded. "Okay. When my time ends, I'll pass Mother's Rosario onto a person that's worthy of it. I'll make sure your sword is never forgotten."

"Thank you." Yuuki then eyed Kirito with her red eyes. "As for you, Kirito, look after Marth for me. Like it or not, he needs you more than he needs me. Make him understand…that he doesn't have to go at it alone."

Kirito slowly nodded his head. "Alright," he said slowly. "You can count on me. I won't let you down, Yuuki."

The Imp then let out a series of weak coughs as her vision became blurry from the blood loss. "One more thing," she said. "Tell Marth to let me go. Don't let me be the one holding him back from finding someone special. Someone who could be something I couldn't for him."

The Black Swordsman was silent for a moment before saying, "Okay. I'll tell him."

"Thank...you," Yuuki said with a one final smile before closing her eyes. Her body became limp as she succumbed to her wound.

Everyone was overcome with grief, with Kirito, Silica, and Asuna bursting into tears.

"I can't believe Yuuki's dead," Klein said in remorse. "How are we gonna tell Marth?"

"We could just not tell him," Sinon offered before shaking her head. "On second thought, that's a bad idea. He doesn't deserve that."

Suddenly the silver aura around Kirito faded and he found himself able to move properly again. He and the others then saw Siren land behind them before an unconscious Marth fell out of its core. Siren then ascended, heading back into space.

"Marth!" Kirito exclaimed in worry. The Spriggan managed to catch his partner before he hit the ground. Kirito sighed in relief when he felt Marth's breathing. He also noticed Lunara and Solaris were back in their scabbards and were in their original colors again.

Suddenly the Shadow Fortress began shaking as it started falling apart.

"We have to get out of here!" Klein shouted fearfully. "This place is coming down!"

Kirito made sure he had a firm grip on Marth and faced his guildmates. "Agil, take Yuuki's body," the Black Swordsman said.

"You got it, brother," Agil said before picking up the Imp's body with both arms.

The Alfheim Warriors then summoned their wings and took off as the Shadow Fortress crashed into the ocean.

**To be continued**

* * *

**Original Author's Note: Sorry if this was really long. I just couldn't split this up. So yeah, Yuuki's dead. That's not gonna go well with Marth when he finds out. Also take a guess who the black-haired girl from Marth's visions were. Although since I have the title on the sequel for Dark Swordsman 2 on my profile and what it is, I doubt it will be really hard to figure out. Anyway, the next chapter will be the last chapter for this story. I'll see you guys next time!**


	36. The True Price

Marth woke from a dreamless sleep and found himself under a blanket in a tent. His eyes were back to their usual blue color.

"Where am I?" he asked in confusion. "I could've sworn I was at the Shadow Fortress."

Marth then heard someone enter the tent, which turned out to be Kirito.

"Am I glad you're awake, Marth," Kirito said in relief. "You had us all worried sick."

The Dark Swordsman raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Marth asked. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember? During the fight with Zarc, you suddenly lost control of your powers and began fighting recklessly. That wasn't like you."

"I did what?" Marth held his forehead as his memory of the incident returned. "Oh my God!" he said in shock. "Did I hurt anyone?"

Kirito hesitated for a moment before saying, "It might be easier to show you. Just remember that you're not fully responsible for it, Zarc was."

Marth stood up and followed Kirito out of the tent where he was greeted by a terrible sight. Most of Tokyo was in ruins. They were just outside of New National Stadium, which was badly damaged, where they saw hundreds, if not thousands, of people either dead or injured that were by the streets, along with just as many tents trying to treat the injured.

"Oh my God!" Marth said in horror as he covered his mouth with his hands.

Kirito was torn from seeing his best friend in such pain but knew he couldn't stop. "This way," the Spriggan said. "The others will want to know you're awake."

Kirito led Marth down the sidewalk to a courtyard where their guildmates were waiting.

"Brother!" Thorrnn exclaimed in joy as she tackled the blue-eyed Spriggan into a hug, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Thank goodness you're awake, Marth," Asuna said with a relieved smile.

"You sure know how to scare us," Klein added. "Do you mind stopping that?"

Marth scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry guys. I didn't mean to worry you guys." He then noticed the absence of three certain girls. "Where's Yuuki, Celina and Lisbeth?"

Suddenly the others lowered their heads in shame while Thorrnn let go of her brother and backed off, confusing the Silver Aegis.

"What's wrong?" Marth questioned nervously.

"About that," Asuna said slowly, not looking him in the eye.

Sinon let out a heavy sigh. "We need to show him," the archer said sincerely. "Marth deserves to know."

"You're right, Sinon," the Undine replied. She held her hand out to the blue-eyed Spriggan. "Come with me. I'll take you to them."

Marth was confused but took Asuna's hand and allowed the Lightning Flash to lead him to a medical tent, with the others following them. They then entered the tent, where Marth saw dozens of people being treated for injuries, with some of them being children. There were even some tables with bodies covered by tarps in the back.

The Silver Aegis's eyes widened in shock. "Did I do this?" he asked slowly.

Asuna didn't answer and instead led him to the makeshift morgue where they found Lisbeth sitting on a table while holding a gravely injured Celina. The pink-haired blacksmith was sobbing, and Celina wasn't breathing.

"No," Marth said in disbelief.

Lisbeth managed to stop crying before facing the duo and glared at Marth. "So you finally decided to wake up," she said bitterly. "Come to admire your work?"

"Liz!" Asuna protested.

Marth, on the other hand, was stunned by the accusation.

"This all your fault!" Lisbeth continued, her tone not changing. "If you hadn't merged with that stupid Core Crystal, Celina wouldn't have died."

"I never…" Marth said in shock. He reached out to Celina, only for Lisbeth to slap his hand away.

"Don't you touch her!" Lisbeth exclaimed in anger. "I hate you, Marth! I wish Celina and I have never met you! This is all your fault!"

"Don't say that, Liz!" Asuna scolded. "You know that's not true!"

Lisbeth didn't respond and went back to her mourning. Marth turned towards the Undine in a worried expression.

"Where's Yuuki?" he asked quickly.

Asuna gave Marth's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll take you to her. Just promise that you won't blame yourself." She turned towards Kirito and gave him a nod.

Kirito nodded in response before leading the duo to another table with a tarp covering a body. The Black Swordsman lifted the tarp, revealing Yuuki's body lying down on the table with her sword, Macauhuitl, right next to her.

"No," Marth said in shock. "This can't be real. How did she die?"

"How do you think?" Lisbeth spoke up, causing the trio to face her. " _You_ killed her! Yuuki's dead because of you!"

Marth's eyes widened in disbelief. "No. That can't be true." He faced Kirito, who's head was lowered in shame. "Tell me it's not true."

"I'm sorry, Marth, but it's true," Kirito answered slowly. "That last attack you did would've hit me and I couldn't move because your powers were overwhelming me. Yuuki ended up taking the blow herself to protect me. We couldn't heal her no matter how hard we tried. There's nothing we could've done."

Marth backed up as guilt and grief overwhelmed him. "No. This isn't what I wanted." He turned towards his dead girlfriend and held her cheek with his other hand. "Yuuki, I'm so sorry."

_"You will have to face a hardship greater than anything you've experienced so far,"_ Klaus's voice echoed in Marth's head. _"If you aren't careful, it could shatter your spirit and leave you powerless."_

"I think I know what Klaus's warning was about now," Marth spoke up. "It wasn't the Demon War or Zarc, it was losing Yuuki and Celina."

The Dark Swordsman backed into Asuna, who put her arms around him to comfort him, but he didn't seem to notice as he was too lost in grief. Marth then felt his legs go out and fell to his knees.

"Marth!" Asuna said in worry as she and Kirito knelt as well before both comforting the grieving Aegis.

"Brother!" Thorrnn exclaimed as she hurried to the trio.

_"If you hadn't merged with that stupid Core Crystal, Celina wouldn't have died,"_ Lisbeth's voice boomed in Marth's head. _"Yuuki's dead because of you!"_

"No," Marth said as guilt and grief overwhelmed him, his voice cracking. "I never wanted this." Marth's core then lit up. "No. No. Noooo!" Marth's body then unleashed a burst of blinding silver light. When the light died down, Marth had disappeared without a trace.

"Marth!" Kirito called out as he and Asuna stood up. "Where are you? Marth!"

"Marth!" Asuna exclaimed.

Kirito, Asuna, Thorrnn and the other Alfheim Warriors, except Lisbeth, hurried out of the tent and called out the Silver Aegis's name.

"Where did Marth go?" Silica asked quickly.

"I don't know," Kirito answered. He closed his eyes and tried to locate his partner through their resonance, only to find that the link between them was severed. "Damn it. My resonance with Marth is gone. I can't locate him."

"He might still be in the city," Leafa suggested. "Let's split up and find him."

"Yeah," Asuna replied. "Let's do it. C'mon, Kirito."

Kirito and Asuna then hurried into the city, while the others split up into groups: Leafa and Thorrnn, Klein and Agil, and Silica and Sinon.

"Brother! Where are you?" Thorrnn cried out desperately as she and Leafa ran across the city. "Answer me, please!"

The green-haired Sylph then stopped running, prompting Leafa to do the same.

"Are you okay, Thorrnn?" the blonde Sylph questioned.

"I don't get it," Thorrnn said as her eyes watered. "Why did Marth disappear? He promised me that he wouldn't leave me again. Why did he break his promise?"

It broke Leafa's heart to hear her best friend talk in that way. "Stop saying stuff like that," Leafa said as she took her friend's hands in her own. "Marth would never break his promises on purpose, especially to you. The pain was probably too much for him to handle so he must've warped himself somewhere to deal with it."

Thorrnn looked her fellow Sylph in the eye. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now let's find your brother so we can help him."

"Okay."

* * *

After searching Tokyo for a few hours, Kirito and the others couldn't find Marth anywhere. They ended up meeting in the park, which was miraculously undamaged.

"I can't believe we couldn't find Marth," Klein said. "We searched the whole city, but he wasn't anywhere."

Kirito recalled his promise to Yuuki and clenched his fists in frustration. "I don't get it," the Spriggan said. "Where could he be?"

"Kirito," a familiar voice called out.

The Alfheim Warriors turned and saw Chrysheight, Eugene, Alicia, Sakuya and Yamikaze.

"We heard the news," Sakuya said. "Is it true? Has Marth disappeared?"

The Black Swordsman lowered his head. "Yeah. Marth's gone and we don't know where he is."

"That is troubling," Chrysheight said. "We needed to question him about what those strange mechs were and about his last attack that nearly destroyed the city."

"Were you going to arrest my brother or something?" Thorrnn accused fiercely.

"No, of course not," Sakuya replied calmly. "From what the report Kirito and Asuna gave us had said, it's clear that Marth was not fully responsible for what happened. Besides, we all know that destruction is not part of Marth's character. We just wanted his side of the story."

"Speaking of which, any idea on what happened to Zarc?" Sinon questioned.

"We don't know," Yamikaze confessed. "All we know is that he disappeared into the ocean and his army vanished soon afterward. It's highly possible that Zarc is dead."

"I hope so," Thorrnn said bitterly. "After everything we went through, what my brother just went through, I hope that Zarc's dead."

"That's understandable," Eugene replied. "Anyway, we'll leave you guys be. We have a lot of things to do, like rebuilding the city."

"Thank you for everything, Alfheim Warriors," Alicia added. "I hope you guys find Marth."

The leaders then left.

"So what are we going to do, Kirito?" Asuna asked her boyfriend. "We don't have a lot of other places to search."

"Isn't it obvious?" Kirito replied, his eyes full of conviction. "I won't stop looking. Marth's my best friend and my partner. I won't stop until I find Marth and bring him back. I don't care if I have to cross the boundaries of space and time, I _will_ find him!"

"Kazuto," Leafa said in awe.

"Kirito's right!" Klein said. "Marth's done so much for all of us, this is the least we can do for him! We have to do it because we're a guild!"

"Yeah!" the others agreed.

"Now that's the spirit," a voice spoke up.

Suddenly Critias, Fenris and Remus then appeared before the group, albeit in spirit form.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kirito questioned.

"We could sense the Dark Swordsman's disappearance from the spirit world," Fenris replied. "I hate to tell this to you, but you'll never find Marth… in _this_ era."

Kirito gasped in shock. "Do you know where Marth is?"

"We do," Critias said. "And we are here to help you find him."

"Awesome!" Klein exclaimed in joy. "Things are turning around now!"

"However," Remus interrupted. "There is a catch. Due to Marth's circumstances right now, your memories will need to be blocked and there's a chance you will not be able to return to this era."

"What?" Sinon asked in suspicion. "Why?"

"It's the only way for you to follow Marth to where he is," Critias explained. "Your memories won't be gone forever. They will return with time. So knowing this, do you still want to find the Dark Swordsman?"

Not surprisingly, Kirito was the first to speak up. "I'll do it," he answered with conviction. "I don't care if my memories will be blocked, Marth's my partner. I have to find him."

"I'll go too," Asuna added. "I'm Marth's partner too."

"I want to go too," Thorrnn said.

"Me too," Leafa said.

"Me three," Sinon added. "Marth and Kirito saved my life. I owe them both."

"We'll _all_ go," Klein finished, with Silica and Agil nodding in agreement.

"Very well," Critias said. "Remember this well when your memories return. If you want to return to this era, you'll need Marth's help. He is the only one with the power bring you all back."

"Not a problem," Kirito said confidently. "Once we get our memories back, we'll let Marth know and we can all come back home."

"All right," the Twilight Dragon said. "Ready yourselves. This will be rough on you all."

The three spirits unleashed a bright purple light, consuming the Alfheim Warriors.

_"Hold on, Marth,"_ Kirito thought. _"We're coming. I won't let you go through this alone."_

When the light faded, the fairies were gone.

"Are you sure this was the right thing to do, Critias?" Remus questioned.

The dragon nodded in confirmation. "Of course, Remus. Marth needs their help for what is to come."

"Not just them," Fenris added. "Marth will need the girl's help as well. Let's just hope she manages to help him realize his mistake from his battle with Zarc so he can correct it."

"That's all we can do," Critias said.

The spirits then faded as they returned to the spirit world. Meanwhile at the medical tent, Lisbeth had set Celina's body down and put a tarp over her.

"I'll never forgive Marth for this," Lisbeth vowed. "I hope he never comes back."

Unbeknownst to the blacksmith, Yuuki's sword emitted a bright purple light before shrinking into a small sword charm. The charm then mysteriously vanished without a trace.

* * *

**Twenty years later**

A woman with crimson red hair and deep green eyes was walking through the park in the middle of the night in Tokyo, which was fully repaired. She had just returned to the city from a business trip and had decided to take a midnight stroll in one of her favorite areas in Tokyo. Her name was Rias Hagino, at least, that's her official name in the system archives. Her real last name was something she kept close to her chest, unwilling to reveal it until the right time.

Rias was somewhat surprised about how much she was able to adjust to living in this world despite only being here for twenty years after awakening from her long slumber. It was difficult at first to gain the right to stay in Japan thanks to its complicated legal procedures but thanks to some "persuasion", she was able to secure her stay in the island nation. But Rias didn't come to this world to live among its inhabitants. No, she was here for a very different reason and she has spent the last two decades searching for _them_. The children whose souls were born of darkness. A boy and a girl who were birthed by her oldest friend.

_"I don't care how long it takes me,"_ Rias vowed to herself. _"I will find Zane and Lucia's reincarnations. I owe it to Altena."_

Suddenly what was once a clear night sky became covered in storm clouds. Rias halted in her tracks as she looked up skeptically at the sky, watching the purple lightning dance in the air. The news never said anything about there being a storm tonight. Plus, she could sense an unusual power coming from the storm, confirming that this wasn't natural. Has _he_ found her at last and was making his move to kill her? Fine by her. Rias may have been asleep for several millennia, but she was still a demon lord. She will not allow herself to go down without a fight.

However, as she readied a protection spell, Rias got a reading on the storm's wavelength. It felt familiar to her, but it wasn't from the person she was expecting.

"Can it be?" Rias questioned aloud.

A burst of silver light appeared out of the corner of her eye, hiding in the shadows of the trees, before it quickly vanished. Not lowering her guard, she trotted over to where she saw the light and eventually reached a small clearing. When she arrived, her heart skipped a beat. Right in the center of the clearing was a young man with black hair and garbed in a strange black overcoat, pants and boots, as well as a strange cross-shaped silver crystal in his chest. He seemed to be unconscious. Lying beside him were two longswords, one black and the other gold. They both had a wing-shaped guard that opened towards the handle and had the same silver crystal in the hilt.

It was him! Rias knew it with all her heart, which filled up with joy. She could never forget that face. Finally, after two decades, she finally found him. The boy she had been searching for. However, that raised the question of what exactly happened to him. His disappearance twenty years ago was very strange. Even Rias couldn't trace his whereabouts. It was almost like he had simply vanished off the face of the planet. Rias suspected that it had something to do with that crystal on the boy's chest. She will need to keep a close eye on it to make sure it's not harmful.

But that was enough of that. Rias hurried to the boy and got on her knees before cradling him in her arms. She needed to verify if he was okay. Luckily he was breathing and she could detect a heartbeat.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rias asked softly as she gently shook the boy.

Suddenly the boy's crystal began glowing before his body reverted from that of an eighteen-year old to an eight-year old child wearing a black hoodie, undershirt, pants and boots. His hair remained the same color and his crystal still be seen on his chest. However, the two swords had vanished without a trace. The very action caught Rias by surprise. She didn't expect that to happen.

"What the?" she said in shock. "How did…"

Before she could finish her thought, the boy finally began to slowly open his eyes and looked at her curiously. "Who…who are you?" he asked hesitantly. "Where am I?"

As expected, he didn't remember Rias at all from his previous life. She could sense that his mind was in a fragile state so she knew that she would have to choose her wording carefully. She didn't want to overwhelm him.

"It's okay. You're in a park in Tokyo," Rias said reassuringly. "What are you doing here by yourself? Do you have any family?"

The boy in her arms held his head with his right hand, which felt like it was throbbing. "I…don't know," he said slowly. "I can't remember anything."

Immediately the demon lord felt sorrow from the depths of her heart. She knew he wouldn't retain any memories from his previous life, but he also seems to not have any memories of his current life.

"You mean you have amnesia?" Rias questioned. "That's not good. Do you at least know your name?"

"I think so," the boy answered slowly. "My name is…my name is… Frank Storm."

**The End**

* * *

**Original Author's Note: Talk about a depressing way to end a story. Anyway, I just want to thank you all for reading my stories, it really means a lot to me. If you don't know already, the sequel to this story, Accel World: The Black Wolf, will be a crossover between Sword Art Online and Accel World. It will mostly be following the Accel World anime, but it will also have a sub-plot revolving around Marth. It'll take a while to write since I really need to watch the rest of Accel World so I can figure out how to structure Marth's story into it. I hope you all will look forward to when I start posting The Black Wolf and see the continuation of the Dark Swordsman. Thank you and have a nice day!**

**Edit (9/29/2020): I have changed the ending with Rias to better fit with the info on her in Black Wolf, partially to add some foreshadowing and also to cause less confusion as I have retconned Shiro Hagino, who was her husband. If I had the ideas I have with Rias back when I first wrote this chapter, I would have just kept her single. Shiro really doesn't add much to Black Wolf so nothing would really change if he was taken out.**


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